No control
by bluerk9
Summary: Clara Lille has survived the hit from The Chicago South Club which was supposed to kill her. But when she gets involved with gangs, weapons, violence, and death, she feels like she has no control. Will she return to Aiden? Or will she leave Chicago for good?
1. Chapter 1: Family reunion

**This a new claiden fanfiction I have been working on. There are a lot of OCs in this story, but bear with me. This story is way longer than Bloody Flowers and I am working hard on this. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Clara hears the beeping of a monitor and blinks a few times before waking up. She looks around for a moment and tries to process where she was. She was lying in a hospital bed and she was wearing a hospital dress. As she looks around, she spots a man sitting in a chair next to her. He looked to be in his forties or fifties.

"Hello Clara," he says in a calm tone, "I haven't seen you in so long."

This caught Clara off guard. She didn't know who this man was or how she ended up in what appeared to be a hospital. Noticing the puzzled look on her face, the man speaks again.

"You probably don't recognize me, do you?"

He sighs when she doesn't respond.

"Take a good look at me. Don't you remember?"

Clara notices that he had a similar accent to her's. Something suddenly sparks inside her head like a memory. She tries to sit up, but winces at pain coming from her right shoulder and the left side of the bottom of her neck. She then remembers having been shot twice.

Flashbacks race through her mind: walking up to Lena's grave, hearing Aiden shout her name, turning around and seeing hitmen shoot at her. All of it happened so fast, she didn't have time to react.

She lies back down and looks at the man again. Studying him, he looked a bit old, but his hair wasn't white. His eyes were bright blue and they showed with intelligence. She suddenly recognizes those eyes. They were the same eyes that watched over her before she would fall a sleep. The same eyes that shed tears before saying goodbye. This man was her father.

"Papa?"

He smiles.

"I can't believe you still call me that."

Clara sits up; staying up this time.

"Papa, is it really you?"

He nods.

"Who else would it be? Of course it's me."

Clara's eyes light up. She has not seen her father in over 19 years. He looked a lot older than before, but he was still her papa. Tears form in her eyes and she embraces him regardless of the intense pain in her shoulder and her neck. Her father hugs her as gentle as possible, he didn't want to hurt her. He breathes out a sigh of relief knowing that his daughter was alive.

He could hear her crying against his shoulder as he held her. Minutes passed and she finally manages to stop crying. Clara pulls away and looks up at her father who she hasn't seen in what seemed like eternity.

"I almost didn't recognize you when I saw you," he says with a sigh. "You've grown so much."

Clara was about to tear up again, but caught herself.

"I was so worried when I saw you dying. I would like to know what happened."

Dark thoughts cloud her mind, but she manages to tell her father about what happened with Aiden, the club, and Lena's death. Her father was surprised to hear all of this. His own daughter getting involved with the club and that damned Aiden Pearce. He has heard all about him on the news. The Vigilante. More like a terrorist, and the fact that he almost got his own daughter killed. He couldn't bear that. Clara notices the angry look on her father's face.

"But it's okay, I'm alive."

He looks back at her and smiles.

"I know," he says while placing a hand on her shoulder, "Once you're well, there's somewhere I want to take you. I'm sure you'll like it. After all, you've always been an adventurous girl."

Clara grins at the thought of all of their adventures.

"You may get some rest. I can stay if you want."

"Please do."

Clara lies back down while her father held her hand. A few minutes later, she falls asleep.

* * *

 _Journal #1_

 _My name is Clara Lille and I should start this off by saying that I'm still recovering from two gunshot wounds from six months ago. My father, Alexandre Lille, got me a small notepad to write my journal entries. It's small enough so I can fit it in my pocket and carry it around. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be in this hospital bed, but I'm starting to feel like it isn't a public hospital. There are doctors and nurses, but I haven't seen any patients besides myself and it's too quiet. I have made somewhat of a recovery. The nurses stitched my wounds and now they look like scars that will forever be on my skin. I couldn't help but think about Aiden when I see these scars. What is he doing now? Another question that concerns me is where is my phone? Did he take it? I left a voice message for him. If he has it, he must have heard it. I don't know if he did. I need to get my mind off of him._

 _I'm very happy to see Papa. Last time I saw him was 19 years ago back in Quebec, my hometown. We would always go camping in Mont-Tremblant. I remember he would often tell me that we were looking for treasure. I didn't know that he was actually stealing from the cabins. He took all kinds of things like gold watches and jewelry. He adored them just as much as I did. One time, I found an old regal coin and I showed it to Papa. He told me that it was an ancient roman coin and it would lead me to the whole roman empire. A silly lie, but he let me keep it. I still have the coin after all those years. I've kept it ever since my mother and I left Quebec and moved to Chicago in the United States. That was until my mother died of breast cancer when I was 19. I became rebellious after that, I changed my look, and I joined Dedsec to feel like I was part of something. They taught me hacking techniques and I became skillful at them. I was still poor at the time, so I made my money with these skills by finding information for people. I found information for the Chicago South Club and I worked for them until Lena's death. Since then, I left the south club and I wanted to help Aiden. Câlisse, I'm thinking about him again. Okay, back to my father. He says he wants to take me somewhere. I don't know where, but I hope to find out soon._


	2. Chapter 2: Pawn Shop

**Alright, so like I said follow or favorite that way I know how I'm doing. Even a good or bad review will keep me writing. Anyways, enjoy :)**

(8 months later)

Alexandre leads Clara out of the hospital she was staying in. Clara was quite eager to find out where her father was taking her. She remembers him saying that she would really like the place. She loved going on adventures, even if they were little ones.

They continued to walk along the streets of Chicago; Alex would give anyone who would look at his daughter the wrong way a sharp glare. He was tall and big enough to intimidate anyone. Aiden may have wiped most of the gangs out of the city, but there were still thugs lurking around.

Minutes of silence pass until they reach their destination. Clara looks at her father with curiosity.

"A pawn shop?"

"Oui, but wait until we get inside."

Still curious she continues to follow him. They make their way inside the pawn shop; stopping at the counter. Alex nods to the man behind it and he steps out of the way.

Alex walks behind the counter and stumbles across a couple of boxes. He moves them aside; revealing some kind of door on the floor. He looks around to make sure no one was in the shop before opening it. Clara spots a set of stairs beneath the door.

"Follow me," he says as he walks down the stairs. Clara was quick to follow.

The stairway looked a bit dark as they made their way downstairs. Once they reach the bottom, the room became brighter than the stairway.

Alex guides Clara down a well-furnished hallway with doors on either sides. He leads her to the very last one at the end of the hallway and opens the door. Clara was quite fascinated about this place being at the bottom of a regular pawn shop that anyone could go to.

"Clara, this is my office."

He gestures towards the room they were in front of. She studies the room for a moment. There was a large desk filled with papers that only he knew about, there was a leather chair behind it, and the room seemed a bit too big for just an office.

"And this one over here is yours," he says while moving towards another one of the doors. He opens it and the office was about the same as his, only the desk wasn't filled with papers.

Clara wondered why her father was showing all of this to her. She also wondered where she was going to stay.

"So, where will I be staying? Here?"

Alex laughs a little bit.

"No, I've rented you an apartment, which we'll talk about later. But right now, I want to talk to you about something else. You're probably wondering how I could afford all of this because we used to be poor."

They were many years ago.

"Back in Quebec, do you remember leaving with your mother because of me?" He frowned.

She nods.

"When you both left, a friend of mine got me into a business, which he called the Black Dragon. All of the jewelry I collected I sold to him and I made a lot of money for it, so I kept stealing until we came up with an idea; we opened up our own pawn shop where we sold all of the jewelry for a bigger price."

Clara nodded along with his words.

"We were quite successful until eventually the people and the police started to figure out that what we were selling was stolen equipment. We had to leave, but I wanted to see you and your mother. How is she by the way?"

Clara was silent for a moment before answering, "She is dead."

Alex was in shock and sadness once those words left her mouth.

"How?"

"Cancer," Clara replied.

"Oh," Alex says almost in a whisper.

They both give a moment of silence for their lost family member before Clara spoke again.

"So, how did you find me?"

"I traced you through a computer my friend had, which he eventually gave to me. He taught me how to hack and trace and now I can find anyone. On to other things, this business is important to me and I would like you to be a part of it."

She raises an eyebrow.

"Am I going to be stealing?"

"Well, yes. But I will make sure that you have proper training and preparation for it."

"Ok, but where will I be stealing from?"

"Anywhere. Museums, jewelry stores, etc."

She looks away from her father.

"I don't know. What if it's wrong? What about Aiden?"

"Are you still worried about that bastard of a man?" He asked, his accent strong once he said 'bastard'

Clara still refuses to look at him.

"Clara, he is not important, he is also not family is he?"

"No but...," she trails off as she thought about him.

Alex places a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Do you still have that coin you found back in Mont-Tremblant?"

"Yes," she says pulling it out, "I do."

"And why did you keep it?"

"Because I missed you when you weren't with us. I kept it as tribute."

Alex smiles at her.

"Exactly, that coin symbolizes family, us. Not him."

Clara finally looks at her father.

"Join the Black Dragon, it will be a tribute to your mother."

Clara thought about it for a moment before deciding, "Ok, I'll give it a try." She said it with a grin which made Alex proud to hear it.

"Alright, I'll show you where your apartment will be."

Alex leads Clara out of the pawn shop as they made their way towards her new apartment.

* * *

 _Journal #2_

 _Papa and I just talked about some kind of business he got into while being in Quebec. He says it involves stealing valuable things. I know I've stolen data in the past, but it kind of feels wrong in a way to steal from such places like pawn shops and museums. Will I be killing people in the process? I might end up doing so. This may be a way of honoring my mother, but would she want this? Mum and I had a strong connection. When Papa was gone, she would always give me support and motivation. I missed my father so much that if it weren't for her, I probably would be a mess._

 _I changed once she died, so here I am now with my second journal entry. Papa got me an apartment to stay in. It looks nice and well-furnished just like the underground of the pawn shop. From the modern walls, furniture, to the black silk queen sized bed. Everything about it is nice including the friendly neighbors next door._

 _One thing worries me though, and it's Aiden. What if we come face to face with each other during one of my robberies? He is the vigilante after all. My father said that I would have deft skills so I'll know how to be stealthy. Let's just hope I don't run into him anytime soon._


	3. Chapter 3: Learning to fight

**Chapter 3 guys. Please try not to get bored through these couple of chapters and be patient for claiden. Enjoy**

* * *

"So where are you taking me, Papa?" Clara asks as she and her father walk along the streets of Chicago.

"I'm taking you to one of the best martial arts schools here in Chicago. From there, you will learn how to fight and take down anyone who stands in your way."

Clara wasn't sure what to expect, but she wanted to make her father happy. Her father has given her a lot. Now, it was time for her to do the same. Minutes pass with neither of them saying another word until they reached their destination.

It was what Alex said it would be; a martial arts school. They walk inside and it looked quite large from Clara's perspective. The school had red and black foam floors surrounded by several students doing exercises. Clara spots a man among them, but he was not doing what the others were. She assumed that he was the trainer.

The man suddenly spots Clara and Alex. He walks confidently towards them.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Yes," Alex starts, "My name is Alexandre, you can call me Alex, and this is my daughter, Clara. We were wondering if she could take classes here. I heard that your school is one of the best ones."

The trainer nods with Alex's words.

"Yes, I make sure my students are provided the most balanced training."

"Good, so can she take classes here? We'll pay you of course."

He paused for a moment before replying, "Sure."

He turns to Clara.

"Are you up for this?"

She looks up at him and nods.

"Yes, I am," she says sincerely.

"Ok. My name is Kenshin by the way," he says while extending his hand out to Alex.

He shakes hands with Alex and Clara.

"Alright then, follow me," Kenshin says to Clara as he turns the opposite direction.

Clara was quick to follow and waves to her father before he left.

"So, where are you originally from, Clara?" He asked, "France?"

"I am from Quebec. I moved here when I was nine."

"I see, and why do you wish to take my class?"

Clara thought for a moment before saying, "For self defense. A few months ago, I got shot by thugs in the city and nearly died."

Kensin frowns.

"That's why I want to learn how to defend myself, so I can get a gun out of someone's hand."

"In this school, you can learn to take up to four people. This may help, but how did you manage to get shot by thugs? I thought the Vigilante wiped them all out."

Clara's jaw clenched at the thought of him.

"It turns out he didn't get all of them."

Kenshin stops, causing Clara to stop as well.

"Very well, you can take my classes, but you will need more suitable clothes than what you are wearing right now."

Clara was wearing blue jeans with a leather jacket hovering over her white strapless shirt. Kenshin tells her to stay put and walks into another room. Seconds later, he comes back with a black T-shirt and sweat pants.

"You may change into these," he points to another door. "The changing room is right over there."

Clara only nods and takes the clothes from him. She walks over to the changing room and shuts the door behind her. She sighs before changing into the T-shirt Kenshin gave her.

Could she do this? Clara didn't want to disappoint her father after everything he has done for her. She couldn't quit now, she just got here. She slides on the sweat pants and takes a deep breath before exiting the changing room. Kenshin was with another student until he notices Clara leaving the changing room.

He walks up to her and says, "Alright, let's begin."

* * *

 _Journal #3_

 _Journal three already? Time seems to be going faster than expected. My father has recently put me into a martial arts school that teaches Kung Fu. I've met my trainer, Kenshin. His name sounds funny, but I'm guessing it's because he is japanese._

 _Everyone seems nice there and they even offer to help if I have trouble doing a certain move because of my gunshot wounds. My wounds do hurt at times, but there is one person who is a bit odd out of the others. I don't know who he is, but he acts as if he is a know-it-all. Sometimes he will come in and challenge anyone to a fight. I'm surprised he hasn't been kicked out yet._

 _All of this is just one month of being in the school and I have also been taking acrobatics to achieve balance and flexibility. On with other things, my worry for Aiden may be relieved. I watched the news today titled, "Where is the Fox?" They were talking about little to no sightings of the Vigilante. Some believe he has gone into hiding and I don't blame him for that. However, I'm tired of people bringing him up. As soon as you turn on the news, there he is. The public is still praising him regardless of all the people he killed and it irritates me sometimes._

 _Kenshin brought him up while I was coming up with a little lie to tell him why I was going to take his class. I couldn't help but get a bit frustrated. Now he's creeping back into my mind again. I'm going to get him off my mind by going back to the martial arts school to begin my next session. I want to train well and hard. I want to make my father proud_


	4. Chapter 4: Challenges

(One year later)

"Alright everyone, it is time that we test your abilities," Kenshin starts. "Clara, you will be the first to test your skills on a few of my students."

She stretches her barefeet on the foam floor and prepares for the test. A student approaches her and gets into a fighting stance. He waits for a moment before charging at her with a fist. She quickly reacts by moving her head to one side, causing his arm to go past her shoulder. She grabs a firm hold on his arm and twists it. The boy cries out before she stomps on his calf, nearly crushing it. He falls to the floor while holding onto his leg. Things like this would happen a few times in the school since Kenshin taught his students about the most sensitive areas to hit in the body. He let this one pass because it was what he taught her.

Realizing what she had just done to the poor boy's leg, Clara mutters, "Sorry."

Other students help him up. He hopped on one foot and scurries away from the battlefield. She couldn't help but feel a little bad.

"No worries, Clara. It's all part of what I taught you. He'll be fine." Kenshin reassures her, "Now, let us continue."

Two more students approach her. She took them out one by one. Two turned into three and soon it reached four. She manages to take out all of them. She was making progress and she seemed to have mastered everything Kenshin taught her. She felt proud of herself.

After that, class was finished. Clara puts her regular clothes back on and exits through the front door. When she goes outside, she spots a man leaning against the school wall. His dirty blonde hair was shaped like a faux hawk and he was wearing sunglasses. He was clapping with a smirk on his face. Clara raises an eyebrow.

"What?" She said.

"I saw what you did in there and you put on quite a show."

"You watched?"

"Of course, I'm one of the students," he explains, "So, I want to challenge you to a fight."

After saying that, Clara realized that he was the guy that kept challenging people to fight him. The know-it-all.

"You're that guy who keeps challenging everybody. I wonder why you haven't been kicked out of the school after a year of trying to start fights."

His smirk turns into a grin.

"I got a few people in, but Keshin didn't know about it, or at least he thought it was for practice."

"So you want to fight?"

"Only if you accept my challenge."

She thought that one more fight wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, but there is one thing I want to know."

"What's that?"

"What is your name?"

"Shaun," he answers casually. "Follow me."

He leads her to a nearby alley, so they wouldn't get caught by the teacher himself. Before Clara could react, Shaun swings a leg towards her face. She ducks down, dodging the kick. After that, they started to fight. Shaun was a bit over competitive and he knocked her down within a minute. She was left on the ground while he left the alley. That asshole. She stumbles to her feet and clutches her hand to her aching head. She searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found. She wanted to get back at him, but she didn't want to get too carried away. She wanted to get some advice from her father.

She goes back to her car and heads towards the Pawn Shop. She should really be calling it a hideout since people didn't know about the underground room of the shop. Once she got there, she goes inside and approaches a muscular, intimidating looking man behind the counter. She raises her eyebrows, expecting him to let her behind the counter, but he only gives her a skeptical look.

"What's this?" he asks in suspicion.

"Aren't you going to let me in?" She nods to the boxes behind the counter.

"Says who?"

She really wasn't in the mood for this.

"My name is Clara and I need to speak to Alex. I'm his daughter."

The man crosses his arms and still doesn't move.

"Really? You look nothing like him."

Clara's eyes widen in anger, but she tries to keep her temper under control.

"Yeah? Well aren't you a little too short to be working as a 'Bodyguard?'"

He was about as tall as her.

"Watch your mouth!" he snaps.

"Quite the temper too I see."

She smirks at him mockingly. This pissed him off even more.

"Listen here, smartass," He steps away from the counter, "If you're looking for a fight, you've come to the wrong guy. I suggest that you leave now."

"I'm staying right here until you let me speak to Alex."

He strides towards her in an attempt to grab her and throw her out of the pawn shop. Clara reacts quickly once he grabbed a hold of her shirt. Using what she was taught to do, she grabs his hand which he placed on her shirt and uses her other hand to push his arm to the side with force. The 'bodyguard' stumbles over. As he leaned over, she kicks him forward and onto the floor. She held onto his arm while twisting it. She stomps onto his head, holding him down. This helped relieve some of the memories from earlier. She couldn't help but smile a little.

"I honestly thought you'd be more of a challenge," she taunts while pressing the bottom of her shoe on his head even further, "I've already dealt with one asshole today, so why not another?"

"Clara!" A familiar voice shouts from behind the counter.

She looks up and sees that it's her father. He scowls at her.

"Stop this right now!"

She let's go of the bulky man and he struggles to stand. Alex helps him up.

"I apologize. I should have told you that she was one of us."

Clara gives him an apologetic look, but he only glares at her and storms out.

"What happened?" He asked demandingly.

"I asked him if he could let me in, and I told him I was your daughter, but he had to be rude and say I look nothing like you."

"And?"

"He tried to kick me out and you saw what followed."

Alex sighs.

"You need to be more careful. You're lucky no one was here to see it. What if that man could have hurt you?"

His father-like worry was causing him to ramble on and on. Clara gives him a reassuring smile.

"Papa, it's fine. I'll be okay."

He stops and calms himself.

"Alright, I'll call someone else to work behind the counter. How was class today?"

Clara flushed at the thought.

"Started off well, but some guy beat me during a test," she lied.

She didn't want her father to worry again, and her head still felt sore.

"What was his name?"

"Shaun," she answers after a few seconds.

"Do I need to knock some sense into this boy?"

She laughs a little.

"No, I need your advice."

Alex gestures her towards the underground hideout.

"Come, we'll discuss this in the hideout."

Once they step inside, Alex closes the door above them.

"What kind of advice were you hoping for?" Ha asked eagerly. He loved giving her advice.

"I want to find a way to beat him. It seemed like the way he fought, he's been in that school for years."

"Alright Clara, if you're willing to be a Black Dragon you'll need to learn how to work through an angle."

She sits down on the stairway and tilts her head to one side.

"What do you mean?"

"If you ever step into a problem, always find a way through it."

He sits down next to her.

"Maybe settle the problem. Perhaps you can challenge the man once you feel as if you've mastered your training. I'm not saying you have to, but he sounds like a real challenge and challenges show another side of you that you never knew."

Clara had always known that he was a man with stars in his eyes. The way he said the last sentence about challenges filled his voice with wonder and Clara remembers that he would speak to her like that ever since she was a little girl.

She thought about his advice before saying, "OK, I'll give it a try."

Alex smiles.

"Good, but be careful."

Clara rolls her eyes at her father's worry.

"Don't worry about me," she says, "Okay?"

He nods, still smiling.

"I'm headed back to my apartment."

She gives him a warm hug before leaving the hideout. She leaves the pawn shop and heads home, hoping that her papa's advice would be useful.

* * *

 _Journal #4_

 _I'm writing this journal while sitting on top of my apartment building. Strange I know, but it helps me think. Gazing down at the busy streets of Chicago at night, taking in the breeze, and surrounded by the stars in the night sky. I could also see the Willis Tower from up here. It's beautiful. I was never really afraid of heights. Most people are because of falling or just scared of being this high, but I usually see it for its lovely view. I'm not even sure if I'm allowed up here._

 _Since I have some free time, I've decided to write my next journal up here. It has been awhile since I've written my last journal because I've been busy with my Kung Fu class. I got my ass beat by the guy I was talking about in my previous journal. Turns out, his name is Shaun and he's very good with his moves. He challenged me to a fight and after he beat me, he just left me at the alley. That's one bastard today. I came to my Papa to get advice about getting back at him, but at the pawn shop, the man behind the counter decided to be rude to me by saying I look nothing like Papa. Then, he tries kicking me out, but he didn't know about my training. I got him on the ground and my father catches me. That's another bastard today. As you can see, I've been having a bit of a stressful day, but Papa managed to calm down and give me advice about challenging Shaun when I feel that I'm ready. I'm going to step up on my training and at least try to take him down._

 _I still think about the incident with the man behind the counter today. I felt something I never did before. Like a calm type of anger. I was pissed, but at the same time, I kept myself under control. Maybe I'm so used to being calm and collected that I was able to control myself in that situation. Anyway, I'm starting some more training tomorrow, but right now, I feel tired. I had a headache earlier, but it stopped. I'm headed to bed. Now I'm going to try to sneak off this roof without getting caught._

* * *

 **Took me a whole day to finish this, but I got it done. *Wipes sweat off of forehead* Reviews are welcome :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Weaponry

**Next chapter. Enjoy**

* * *

After a week of preparation, Clara was ready to face Shaun. Across from her apartment was a car valet, who would often polish and repair her street sport motorcycle. It was usually the only vehicle that got her to places quick and she was also starting to have an interest in motorcycles. She goes to get her motorcycle and there it was waiting in the garage. The bike was jet black with a gold, soft cushioned seat.

Clara walks towards it and throws one leg over the seat. She smiles once the engine roars to life. She nods to the car valet before pressing her foot onto the pedal and riding out of the garage. Reaching the road, she takes in the summer breeze. A part of her felt free whenever her loose mohawk flew in the wind while riding her lovely motorcycle. It was like she could get away from all of the stress of the Black Dragon, the martial arts school, everything. This freedom was short lived once she got to the school.

After a few hours, class was over. While leaving, she spots Shaun outside leaning against the school wall. Again, he was wearing those damn sunglasses. He notices Clara looking at him and he turns his head to face her. He stood with his arms crossed as if he were expecting her.

"You're Shaun, right?" She asks while walking towards him.

"What's it to you?" He says with a smile on his face.

"Well as I recall, you challenged me to a fight about a week ago."

"Yeah, so you want to go again?"

He sounded eager.

"It depends on where we're facing off."

"Very well," he says as if he were mocking Kenshin, "We shall face off at the same alley as we did before."

He points towards the alley way.

"Follow me there, unless you're too scared to get your ass beat again."

He smirks at her, letting her know that it was a just a joke. She rolls her eyes at his silly remark and starts to follow him. They reach the alley and make sure no one is around before Shaun tried to punch her. Clara quickly dodges the punch and smashes her fist into his stomach. He swears at her while holding his stomach in pain. She continues to swing her fists at him until he is knocked unconscious.

Clara couldn't believe it. She won. She wanted to tell her father that his advice worked. She leaves Shaun at the alley since he left her last time and heads to the pawn shop.

Once she got there, she went inside hoping there was no 'bodyguard' behind the counter. Fortunately, there was only a man covered in dragon tattoos. He allowed her to come into the hideout and she moves the boxes aside before walking down the stairs. She doesn't see her father. She suspected that he was in his office. She reaches the door at the end of the hallway in high hopes that he would be in his office.

She taps her nails on the door and waits. A few seconds later, she hears footsteps from within the office and the door opens. Alex stood with a phone pressed against his ear.

"John, I'll have to call you back," he says and pushes the end call icon. "Clara," he manages to work up a smile, "Do you have news for me?"

She quickly nods and smiles. She felt a familiar kind of excitement as if she were a child.

"Well, what is it?" He asked eagerly.

"I took your advice and it worked!"

"You beat Shaun?"

"Yes, I did!" She says hoping that he would be proud.

"See? I told you it would work."

He was honestly happy that his daughter was even determined try it.

"Although, I think I might have broken a bone. I heard a crack," Clara says in amusement.

Her humor was quickly dismissed once she hears a voice behind her.

"That was my ribcage and it still hurts."

She turns to see Shaun holding onto his ribs.

"W-What?" Clara stutters.

"What's goin on Alexandre?" He manages to breathe out, but doesn't pronounce his name right.

"It's Alexandre," he says sternly.

"I'm just going to call you Alex."

Still confused, Clara glances back at her father.

"What's he doing here?"

"Not to worry my dear, he is one of us."

"He is?"

Shaun turns around and lifts up the back of his shirt reveal a dragon tattoo that took up nearly his entire back. He rolls his shirt back down and turns to face her.

"It was all part of a test to see what you would do in a situation like that," Alex explains. "Shaun, I need you to do me a favor.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I need you to take Clara over to John's shop. Clara, John is the friend I was telling you about. He'll show you the weapons you can use."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Shaun heads upstairs expecting Clara to follow. Before she could follow him, Alex stops her.

"Wait."

She turns and looks at him with a puzzled expression.

"What?"

"Be careful with some of the weapons there. You'll know what I mean once you get there."

Clara only nods before heading upstairs. Shaun was already in his car outside the shop waiting. She goes outside and walks to the passanger's side. Opening the door, she sits in the seat before closing the door beside her. Shaun starts driving, not saying a word to her. He was still wearing his sunglasses he always wore. Clara couldn't help but ask, "Why do you always wear those sunglasses all the time?"

"My wife gave them to me."

"You have a wife?" She asked almost bemused.

"Yeah," he shrugs, "Why do you seem so surprised?"

"Well it's just that I never thought someone like you would even have one. Poor wife has to put up with your loud mouth."

He laughs a little.

"Hey, she's used to me being that way."

"Does she know your a Black Dragon?"

"Yes," he answers casually.

Still not believing him, she looks at his fingers in search for a ring, but he didn't have one.

"If you're really married, then where is your ring?"

He glances down at his fingers and back up at the road.

"I lost it."

"How did lose it?"

He sighs hoping that his upcoming answer would get her quiet.

"It fell into a river during our anniversary. My wife doesn't seem to care though."

She looks at him quizzically eanting to know more.

"Why did you decide to join the Black Dragon?"

Shaun immediately frowns.

"You know what? Why don't you stop asking me questions about my life?" He says defensively.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get personal."

She turns away from him before asking, 'So this John person you're taking me to, what's he like?"

"Well he knows Alex pretty well, but he looks like he's gone through some shit in his time."

"What do you mean?"

"He's got this really long scar on his cheek," he points towards his own cheek to demonstrate, "And he's also got an eyepatch. I asked him to show me what was underneath..."

He shivers at the thought.

"Trust me, it looks God awful. Don't ever ask him to lift his patch."

This made Clara even more intrigued to know about this man.

"How many weapons does he have?" She asked.

"Lots. From different varieties of guns to explosives, knives, swords, anything you can think of."

Clara remembered Aiden having guns and explosives too. Even though she was the one who gave him access to hacking a guard's phone or earpiece to make an explosion. Her mind was clouded up again with memories of him and they were not good ones. She thought about how he pushed her away at the bunker regardless of all the things she did for him and the things she provided him.

Sure, she may have been involved in Lena's death, but he didn't need to be a dick about it. Her father gave her motivation through the past year as to not blame herself anymore. This was the reason why she had these thoughts about him. Her father basically got her mad at Aiden, but not to the point where she hated him.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize Shaun was still talking to her.

"Hey, you all right? You stopped asking questions."

She blinks a few times before turning back to him.

"I'm fine," she answers.

Shaun pulls over and puts the car in park.

"Well here we are."

It was a gun shop, though she thought it would be another pawn shop. They get out of the car and go inside the shop. It smelled like old wood and cigars. The whole place looked a bit old. On the outside, it didn't look too bad, but the inside looked different.

Clara holds in her nose to prevent the smell of cigars from coming up her nostrils. She was not a big fan of cigarettes. The walls were covered with rifles, knives, and grenades. There was only one soul in sight and that was John standing behind the counter. Shaun was right about his face. He had a long stitched scar along his cheek and a eyepatch covered his eye. His hair was dark brown and looked as if he combed it back. He looked to be in his 40s and he was wearing camo.

He was lighting up a cigar until he spots the two of them.

"Shaun, hello there mate," he sounded austrailian and his voice was raspy, "Who'd you bring with you?"

Shaun removes his sunglasses to wipe a few stains off of them.

"Her name is Clara. Alex told me to take her here to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, dear. I'm sure Alex told you about all the weapons here, did he not?"

"I thought you would explain them to me," she says.

John showed her all kinds of guns. This was something new to Clara. Sure, she knew how to use a pistol, but what he was showing her was the expensive toys. There was one gun in particular that caught her eye and it was the grapple gun.

"The grapple gun? You can use it for a quick escape, but make sure you don't have a fear for heights," John explains. "Want to learn how to use some of these?"

No doubt she would need some of these weapons to pull off a successful robbery.

"Sure," she answers.

"Alright then, let me show you."

* * *

 _Journal #5_

 _I have a lot to talk about in this journal. They're about things that happened then and now. A few months ago, I beat Shaun in a fight. I never thought we would become friends after that, but we did. He went from annoying to a laid back kind of person, unless you ask him personal questions. Other than that, he is all right._

 _There was another person I met along the way and his name is John. I know, another guy. I wonder if there are any girls in this business, or if I'm the only one. Anyway, John owns a gun shop and he taught me how to use knives, guns, and grenades. He says that weapons are a requirement in order to make a successful robbery. I didn't want to overload myself with too many weapons, so I decided to use two daggers with dragon heads as handles, pistols, and a grapple gun. The grapple gun is a gun with a hook inside. You aim it towards something that the hook can attach to and and it pulls you up to the object. It's a pretty neat weapon and I've done some practice so I can get the hang of it._

 _I'm going to steal jewelry for the first time today. The first place I am stealing from is a high tech jewelry store. At least I'm calling it that because it runs on Ctos surveillance and networked locks. I can use this to my advantage since I'm able to break through most of their firewalls. I haven't lost touch of my hacking skills I got from Dedsec._

 _I can't help but feel a bit nervous about this. I could get caught by police and even get arrested. Shaun's supposed to be helping by talking to me through an earpiece with a hidden camera so anything I can see, he should be able to see too. That makes me feel a little calmer._

 _I changed my look a little too. I still have my piercings, but my tattoos were changed to dragons. I figured they were fitting since the business is called the Black Dragon and I keep seeing members with dragon tattoos. I guess I have my own attire too. I'm wearing an atomic vegan leather jacket with a strapless white shirt underneath it. I'm also wearing blue skinny jeans with low heeled leather boots. I have a red bandana wrapped around my mouth and nose. The outer edges of the mask are black and shaped like dragon teeth._

 _As for my mohawk, I decided to just let it loose. I removed the rubber bands and chopped off the ponytail. It'll grow back, but I put mousse in it to give it more body. I also wanted to add a little more color, so I added two more white streaks, one in the center, and the other on the right side of my mohawk._

 _Since I still felt anxious about this, I asked one of the jewelry makers at the pawn shop to attach my old regal coin to a chocker necklace so I can wear it around my neck. That way I can remember I am doing this for Papa._


	6. Chapter 6: Becoming a thief

**I decided to upload both chapters in one month. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Alright, you ready?" Shaun asks Clara.

They were parked far enough from the jewelry store to get a good look at it. Clara could already see surveillance cameras in front of the building monitoring the empty parking lot. It was late, about 11:00. That's when the place was closed. It was a stormy night and she didn't expect it to be raining. The weather could ruin the leather on her jacket, but she cared more about how this was going to go.

She had done something like this in the past whenever she would steal data, but this involved killing people. She wasn't used to this, but she tried to keep in her head that she has done this before.

She takes a deep breath before answering, "Yes."

Shaun held a bag that contained all the weapons she needed: the grapple gun, daggers, and pistols. There were assault rifles too just in case Shaun would need them.

"Ok," he says while shuffling through the bag, "I'm going to be talking to you through this earpiece. It also has a camera so I should be able to see everything you see. Once you've got everything, hurry back here. I'll be waiting."

He takes out the weapons she needs. She acquires the two daggers and places them inside two holders on her hips. She puts the two pistols in the back pockets of her jeans and she held the grapple gun in her hand. She also has a bag to put all the jewelry in.

She looks up at the big building before exiting the car. Heavy rain pours down on the pavement and it was getting on her clothes too, but she could care less. This place was pretty big for a jewelry store. That's when she realized that she had been at this store before. She used to buy rings and bracelets here. It looks like they upgraded it with techonolgy just like everything else in the city. Clara made sure that the cameras couldn't identify her by putting her name as NO RECORD.

She had to focus on one piece at a time. The grapple gun could attach to walls, roofs, almost anything. She puts on her mask before aiming the gun towards one of the windows. If she were to shoot at the window, it could break or make noise and she didn't want to draw any attention to herself, so she shoots the wall above the window instead.

The hook launches from the gun and attaches to the building. It lands above the window just as Clara wanted and the hook starts to pull her up. Her feet lift off the ground as she was being pulled up. In seconds, she was in the air. Drops of rain pound into her face making her squint, but she could still see what was ahead of her.

She reaches the window and the hook pulls back into gun before she lands on the edge of the window. She looks through the window and she could see a guard from below.

"Let's hope I can get this window open."

There was a Ctos box next to the window. She pulls out her phone and breaks past the firewall. The window made a click sound before moving up. The window was now open and she could see the inside of the building more clearly now. She looks down and sees the same guard she saw before, but he was talking to another guard.

Thinking of how she could get in quietly, she spots roof beams. Clara shoots her grapple gun towards them and the hook lifts her up. Reaching the top, she was about to land until her foot slips on the beam. She almost fell, but she balanced herself with her other foot while keeping her hands on the beam. She slowly places her other foot back on the beam and cautiously looks down to if the two guards had heard her. They were still engaged in their conversation. She sighs in relief. Looks like her acrobatics payed off.

Recovering from her mistake, she looks down once more to see varieties of jewels and rings inside the glass jewelry tables. Suddenly, one of the guards end the conversation and walks out of the room. Once he left, the other guard pulls out his phone. Clara decides to use this to her advantage. She hacks into the man's phone and switches on his mp3 player. A song starts to play. The guard looks down at his phone in confusion while he tries to shut off the music. Clara pulls out one of her silenced pistols from her back pocket and aims towards the man's head. She could do this.

Even though killing wasn't something she was used to, she helped Aiden fight off fixers, who were invading his apartment, in the past. That involved killing. Time was running out and the music on the guard's phone was going to turn off any second.

She focused and aims the gun at him before pulling the trigger. The bullet strikes the man's head and he falls down. He dies instantly. Now, she needed to find a way down. She looks around and sees a chandelier just below her. She balances herself on the beams before jumping on top of it. She lands on top of it causing it to rock back and forth beneath her. She holds onto the chain until the rocking stops.

She looks down at the jewelry once more. She wondered if she was supposed to grab all of it, or steal a particular kind of jewel. She decides to ask Shaun through the earpiece.

"Shaun, what exactly are we stealing?" She asks.

"Um, jewelry?"

Clara rolls her eyes at his sarcasm.

"No, I mean do I take all of it or are we aiming for something bigger?"

"Your goal is to take as much as you can. Put it all in the bag I gave you."

She pulls out the small black bag in her pocket.

"Ok, I'll see you in the car," she finishes the conversation.

The chandelier was close enough for her to jump down. Clara knew this could be a dumb decision, but she decides to put trust in her training. She was hesitant for a moment before making the jump. She lands on the ground and her feet immediately ache. Once recovering, she makes sure no one was around to hear the noise before standing up straight.

The dead guard was lying next to where she was standing and she almost felt bad. However, this was something she would have to get used to if she were willing to make her father happy.

"Sorry," she mutters to the dead guard.

He was only doing his job. She shakes it off and looks around at the jewelry tables. She quietly walks over to the back of the tables and sees a security lock on the glass door. She pulls her phone out and hacks into the lock. She is greeted by a firewall. It wasn't too hard to pass. It only took a few swipes and the door was open. The pretty rings and necklaces shine in the light. They beguiled Clara that she couldn't help but whisper, "Voila."

She might keep some of this. Taking out her bag, she starts loading it with jewelry until she hears footsteps coming from another room. The guard, who left earlier, returns and spots Clara behind the counter.

"Hey!"

Before he could pull out his weapon, she leaps from the counter and stabs him in his neck with one of her daggers. Bloods spews out of his skin while some of it drips on the floor. The metallic stench of blood fills Clara's nostrils. Even through her mask, she could smell it.

Suddenly, a loud alarm starts to go off from the building. She must have tripped it after breaking past the firewall. She pulls her dagger out of the guard's neck and sees two more guards coming from a room ahead of her. They pull out their pistols and start firing at Clara. Using the guard she stabbed as a human sheild, she pulls out her own pistol. With precise aiming, she shoots both guards in the head.

She looks around for an escape route and spots the main entrance to the store, but the doors were secured with security locks. She had no time to break past it. She quickly pulls out her grapple gun and aims towards the open window. The hook attaches to the top of the window and begins to pull her up. In the air, she could see more guards coming into the room. She makes it to the window and lands on the sill. She sees a street light pole next to where Shaun was parked. She shoots the grapple gun, and fortunately the hook wraps around the pole. She is pulled upward by the hook once more and she was out of the store.

Once she gets close enough to the pole, she pulls the hook back into the gun and lands safely on the ground. She could hear shots being fired from the store while she ran back to Shaun's car.

"Come on, get in!" He shouts with his window down.

Clara sprints towards the car and gets in the passenger seat. Shaun starts driving.

"Did you get all of it?"

"I got just enough. Drive faster, they're onto us."

Two cars tail them from behind both having guards inside. Shaun tosses Clara one of his assault rifles.

"I'm a little distracted here. Can you hold them off?" Shaun says while trying to focus on the road.

Clara rolls down her window and points the rifle out at one of the cars. She fires a car's tires. They immediately give out and the car comes to a halt. Instead of shooting the other car, she decides to hack into a steam pipe. The pipe explodes and neutralizes the other car. Clara makes sure the coast was clear before rolling up her window. With their threat eliminated, they make their getaway.

* * *

(The next morning)

Kenshin was on his way to one of his favorite cafés. There was no class today, so he has decided to relax. Still, he couldn't figure out why his student, Clara Lille, hasn't returned. She stayed at his school for over a year, but out of no where she stops showing up. No word from her father or anything. A couple of months have passed since he last saw her. Perhaps she is done. He didn't want to waste thinking about it.

The bells jingle once Kenshin opened the doors to the café. The place smelled like fresh vanilla lattes; his favorite. He sits at one of the tables and orders one. While waiting, he spots a wide screen tv behind the counter. It was WKZ news and they were talking about a robbery that happened at a local jewelry store. They didn't know how the thief could get past all security checkpoints, but they are saying that it was a woman wearing some kind of red bandana as a mask. That's all the guards could see that night, yet her image was blurred out in the cameras just like the vigilante.

Kenshin stared close and hard at the blurred images. He was trying to make out who this person was. It wouldn't be anyone he knew, but he was just curious. He studies the photos once more, but no luck. His thoughts were interrupted by a woman's voice.

"Your latte sir."

* * *

 _Journal #6_

 _Papa told me to go inside my office after robberies and record everything I took so he can sell it. I just finished, and I want to talk about stealing from that jewelry store._

 _It obviously has hit headlines and WKZ news is raving about it. It felt easier than expected and honestly kind of fun. By fun I mean using the grapple gun. I enjoyed being in the air. The store also had beautiful jewelry, and I'm telling anyone, but I'm keeping some of it. I'll give him most of the necklaces and rings, but I'm also keeping a few._

 _I didn't run into Aiden, so I guess what they're saying on the news is right. He really has gone into hiding and still no one has seen him. I know this shouldn't worry me, but it kind of does. He's been gone for over a year and a part of me may be mad at him, but I'm still curious to know where he is. Perhaps I'm destined to find out._

 **Things get interesting in chapter 7 :) Reviews are welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7: Old Friends

It was a warm, yet breezy day in Chicago. Months have passed since Clara's very first sneak in at the jewelry store. She has gotten used to stealing and sometimes she wouldn't even wear her mask because she felt like she couldn't breathe behind it, she needed fresh air.

Clara didn't know how Aiden could wear his mask all the time. She thought it was silly that he would wear such a heavy trench coat to hide himself, yet she was almost doing the same thing. Therefore, that would make two of them.

Today she was wearing her original attire: black leather jacket, strapless white shirt underneath, blue skinny jeans, low heeled boots and her red bandana wrapped around her neck. She usually wore this outfit during robberies. She just got done with another one and she was on her way back to the pawn shop.

She feels a sudden vibration in her jacket pocket. Someone must have been calling her on her phone. She pulls it out and notices that the caller is unknown. Usually no one would call her except her father or car valet. The number didn't even look right. It had a bunch of zeros on it and a few other numbers turned upside down.

She was skeptical at first, but her curiosity gets the better of her and she answers. Clara presses her phone against her ear and waits for the person on the other end of the line to speak. After a few seconds, a distorted voice answers, "Badboy17, or should we say Clara Lille." It was Dedsec.

"We've been watching and we are quite impressed with your abilities. You could have much use to us."

She sighs and crosses her arms.

"What do you want?"

"Ever since Lucky Quinn was killed by Aiden Pearce, his son, Niall Quinn, is trying to take his place."

Her heart skipped a beat once he mentioned Aiden. Where is he?

"One of the Chicago South Club members, Brian Smith, has information on you that could expose your identity. He also has been screwing with Dedsec. Since we have similar issues and you were once one of us, we could use the help."

Clara takes in what he just said. If her identity was exposed, it could risk the Black Dragon being exposed as well. She decides to stick with Dedsec's plan. She places one hand on her hip while holding the phone with her other hand.

"Listen, I don't work for you anymore, but if this club member wants to expose me then I guess I'll go with your plan."

The Dedsec member continues, "Your job is to take him out, and wipe all the data he has on us."

"And where is this guy anyway?"

"He is at an old Ctos station. We'll send you the location. The place is loaded with armed guards, so you'll need weapons if you're going in there."

Clara smirks.

"I have a few."

Back at her apartment, she opens her closet doors and shuffles some clothes out of the way. Behind the coats and jackets were her weapons. She selects a sniper along with her two daggers and her grapple gun.

Going outside, she is greeted by her car valet at the garage. He gives her a warm smile.

"Hello, Ms. Lille. Lovely afternoon isn't it?"

She smiles back.

"Just an average day in Chicago," she says

She had to admit she was in a good mood today.

"Your bike is polished and ready for you."

Right next to him was her motorcycle.

"Thank you, I need it today."

"You're most welcome."

She hops on her motorcycle and drives off. While on the road, Clara thought about the phone call with Dedsec. She did like the fact that she could get some payback after what the club did to her. Simply, this was revenge.

By the time she reached the entrance to the Ctos station in Pawnee, she could already see two guards. One was leaning against a ctos van while another was pacing back and forth with an assault rifle in his hands. They were heavily armed just like Dedsec told her.

The old station was protected by a wired fence. If she were to climb over it, she would cut herself. Besides, the fence was too tall for her to even launch her grapple gun at something. She would need to find another way in.

Clara discreetly parks her bike behind a concrete wall and gets off the vehicle. While keeping her head low to avoid detection, she spots a dark colored SUV parked outside the station as well. Perhaps someone else is here. She shrugs it off. She needed to focus on her main task; find Brian Smith. However, she needed to find a way inside.

She sees an open gate, but behind it were two more guards. She could take them out by using her sniper. That'll work. She moves over to a nearby bush and pulls out her sniper. She puts one eye through the scope and aims towards the guards. She delivers a headshot to the first guard. The second guard, who had been leaning against a wall, immediately takes notice and moves towards the dead guard. Clara takes this opportunity to deliver another headshot. The guard was out instantly.

Clara goes up to the gate and slowly opens it. The door creaks open. She takes a moment to analyze the place. There was a Chicago South Club member standing on top of a building that held a satellite. Matter of fact, the whole place had satellites everywhere along with different buildings around the area. There were also cameras. She hacks into one of them and profiles the club members in order to find Brian Smith. She continues to profile numerous club members until she finally catches him two stories up inside one of the buildings. He was pointing a sniper out the window. Two can play that game.

She aims her sniper towards a club member, who was standing next to a huge satellite, and shoots him in the head. He stumbles over and falls off the building.

"Sorry, but I'm taking your spot," she says as she aims her grapple gun on top of the building.

She looks down at the members and notices that some of them were already taken out. Clara doesn't remember taking them out. He can't be here, can he? She needed to focus. Brian was still peeking out the window, so she shoots him with her sniper. She reloads her sniper before latching the grapple hook above the window Brian was peeking from. Reaching the window, she swings inside and lands on the concrete floor inside the building.

Looking around, she spots a computer. She walks quietly over to it and turns it on. Wiping collected dust off of the top of the computer, she starts her magic. She wipes all the data off of Smith's hard drive. Now that she was done, she needed to escape.

Clara cautiously walks down a set of stairs expecting guards to be standing around, but there weren't. Once she reached the bottom step, she sees club members lying on the ground either unconscious or dead. She definitely wasn't here alone.

She ducks behind cover once she hears someone coming into the building. It was a club member. He gasps once he sees all the dead bodies. Clara was about to shoot him until a sudden shock of electricity surges through the man as if he were being tazed. The man falls to the ground, revealing a small RC car behind him. That's as far as Clara could tell. The little car drives past the bodies. Someone is controlling it, but they didn't seem to notice Clara. She should go, but she couldn't help but watch the little toy try to go up a set of stairs. She had a sudden urge to giggle.

"An RC car. Cute," she thought.

She suddenly remembers her main objective. Crouching down, she sneaks past it as quietly as possible. Making it out of the building, she hears two voices. One of them sounded familiar. She shoots her grapple gun on one of the satellites to be able to see them. She lands on top of the building and aims her sniper towards the two men. She didn't want to shoot them because she was curious to know who the man with the familiar voice was.

She puts one eye through the scope and adjusts the knob to zoom in more. Getting a closer look, she sees a homeless looking man wearing a beanie and a dirty looking long sleeved shirt with a white shirt beneath it. She looks over at the other man next to him. He was a bearded man with dreadlocks breaking loose from the cap he was wearing. Clara knew all too well who the dreadlocked man was.

"Raymond Kenney," she says aloud with a smile on her face.

A.K.A T-Bone Grady. She remembers how she looked up to him. He was an inspiration for her to advance her hacking skills once she joined Dedsec. She also remembers his silly remarks back at the bunker and meeting him.

Still grinning, she glances back over at the man next to him. It took her a moment to figure out who he was.

"And he must be Tobias Frewer."

She listens in on their conversation.

"Frewer, you didn't have to come with me."

"Yeah, but I'm trying not to be a coward and I want to help out."

She could hear T-Bone chuckle. Suddenly, Clara spots four cars surrounding the area. It must be reinforements. The club members rush out of their cars and start charging towards Ray and Tobias.

"Looks like they could use some help."

Clara starts firing at two club members. T-Bone and Tobias take cover. They fight them off with their own guns. Clara takes each member out one by one with a single bullet from her sniper along with help from T-Bone and Tobias. They wipe out the whole crew by working together, or at least they thought that was it.

One member comes out of his hiding spot and sneaks behind Kenney. Two more surround Tobias. The club member tries to strangle T-bone. One of the men surrounding Tobias pulls out a gun and tries to shoot him. Tobias reacts quickly and shoots him with his pistol. Before the second one behind him could shoot, Clara fires a sniper bullet through the man's skull. She quickly turns to the man who was strangling T-bone and takes him out with a bullet as well.

Tobias noticed that the man behind him was shot, but not by him. He looks up to see where the shot came from. Clara thought this would be the best time to leave before they spot her. She launches her grapple gun once more, flies up in the air, and vanishes.

Now on the ground, T-bone sees Tobias looking up at the satellite building. He stumbles to his feet, thinking that Tobias was the one who shot his attacker.

"Thanks, Frewer. I owe you one."

Tobias turns to him with a confused look on his face.

"Ray, that wasn't me."

"What'd you mean?" T-bone cocks an eyebrow.

"There was someone up there," Tobias explains while pointing up at the satellite building. T-bone follows his gaze.

"Who?"

"I don't know, but they took off."

They stood dumbfounded yet curious to know who their helper was.

Clara lands in perfect timing next to her motorcycle. She gets on and takes one last glance at the ctos station.

"I'll leave those two to get out."

She smirks before driving off. On her way to the pawn shop, she gives Dedsec a call.

"Alright. He's gone and I erased the data from his computer," she explains over the phone.

"Well done," he sounded impressed. "I must say, we didn't think you could manage to do it so quickly."

"People underestimate me too much," she says with a grin.

"You have our thanks. Should you ever need assistance from us, we are most happy to help."

"Thanks, but I'm fine right now."

The call ends. Clara puts her phone back into her jacket pocket and continues down the road until she sees some kind of smoke or steam up ahead. She drives towards it and stops once she sees whats going on. One of the steam pipes have blown out and there were cars scattered around the road. She could see men firing at something or someone. They did not look like the police.

Her gaze follows what the men were shooting at and she spots a familiar man wearing a cap and a long trench coat. It was Aiden Pearce. He ran from car to car, rifle in hand, while trying to find cover behind each one. He fires at one of the cars across from him and it explodes, causing the next car beside it to burst as well. They erupt with loud booms, instantly killing the men.

Clara couldn't help but sit and watch in amazement as if she were watching fireworks. She didn't know whether to leave or stay and watch.

Suddenly, a man sneaks behind Aiden and grabs him. While Aiden tries to struggle free, the man pulls out a syringe and injects him. Aiden stops struggling and nearly collapses, but is caught by his attacker.

"Quick, get him in the truck," the attacker says to two arriving men inside an ambulance.

One man steps out of the truck and opens the back doors of the ambulance. The attacker tosses Aiden into the back of the ambulance like a rag doll.

"Hurry out of here, this guy is worth a fortune."

Clara couldn't believe it. She glares at the cold heartless men as they they take off. She actually felt pity for him.

"Aiden," she breathes out.

She can't just sit and let this happen. She starts to follow the ambulance at a slow pace on her motorcycle. There was a red light up ahead along with lined up cars blocking their path. The ambulance starts flashing red and blue lights while speeding past the cars. This angered her even more.

"Tabarnak. They're trying to fool the public with an ambulance."

But that wouldn't stop her. She drives pass each car not caring what anyone would think and speeds past the red light.

She continues to follow the truck until it stops at an abandoned apartment complex. She stops behind one of the buildings and watches the men exit the truck. She could see a big looking man leaning against the wall. He had a suitcase in his hand. He watched the two men approach him with an unreadable expression.

"You got Pearce?" He asked them.

"Yeah. You got the money?"

The man opens the suitcase revealing loads of cash.

"A hundred grand as promised."

Clara had seen enough. The men hear a loud vroom from a distance before seeing Clara charging towards them on her motorcycle. She drives towards one of the men and pulls out a dagger. She cuts his throat while going past him and stops to put her bike in park.

Seeing the two men staring at her in surprise, she steps off of her motorcycle and stalks towards the men. One of the men pulls his gun out to shoot her, but she smacks it out of his hand and twists his arm. Spinning him around, she pushes him up against the ambulance and reaches for the gun on the ground.

She hears footsteps behind her and turns to see the fat man trying to run away with the briefcase full of cash. Oh no you don't. She picks up the pistol while holding onto the other man's arm and with precise aiming, she shoots the fleeing man in the leg. The fat man tumbles to the ground. He couldn't run now.

Clara turns her attention back to the man she was holding up against the truck and slams his head against the vehicle. He was out cold, so she pushes him to the ground.

Clara didn't know why she felt this sudden rage she never felt before. Perhaps she has more feelings for Aiden than she anticipated.

She turns around and stomps over to the man she shot. Not caring for his cries of help, she lifts him off the ground and drags him towards the ambulance. She starts smashing his head against the vehicle until his whole face is bloody and bruised. She swiftly kicks him to the ground and straddles him with a gun presses against his head. The man swears once she cocks the gun.

"You think you can abduct someone in broad daylight and get away with it?" She asked sternly.

The man's lips were shaking as blood flows down his nose.

"Do you?!" She nearly shouts.

"I-I'm just the dealer. I only give them the money, that's it," he explains.

She shakes her head.

"Your kind disgusts me. Don't ever come near my friend again. Got it?"

"Fuck, you're crazy!"

"I don't need you to swear at me. I need to know if you understand me."

He nods, still shaking.

"Can you please let me go?" He pleads.

"Hm...alright."

She removes the gun from his head and puts it in her pocket. The man thought he was free to go, but Clara punches him in the temple, knocking him out. She sighs heavily before lifting herself off of him.

She goes towards the back doors of the ambulance and opens them slowly. She sees Aiden slouched against the trunk walls and he had his mask on. His eyes were closed, so he was still knocked out. It was a sad sight for Clara.

She tentatively grabs him, one arm around his waist and the other around his upper back, and pulls him out of the truck. She was practically hugging him at this point. She tenses up once she hears a soft groan from him. She stood frozen in fear for a few seconds until she hears another sound, but it sounded more like a snort instead of a groan. Turns out, he was snoring.

She sighs in relief and continues to carry him. She catches his scent and blushes a little. She shakes her head.

She places him on the back of her bike. She positions herself in front of him and places his arms around her waist to make it look like he was holding onto her.

Shuddering at his touch, she shrugs it off by starting up her motorcycle. She drives out of the rural area going through the back alleys and shortcuts to avoid detection.

She stops once she sees a few shipping containers on railroad tracks. They seemed to be unnoticed by the public.

She gets off the bike, causing Aiden to fall flat on his stomach onto the front seat of the motorcycle.

"Those bastards," she grumbles.

She picks him up and places him inside of one of the shipping containers. She puts him up against the wall so he was sitting. She then lets go.

What would she do next? She could go, but she didn't want to leave him clueless when he wakes up. She should leave him a note, but she didn't have any paper. She'll have to get some. Speaking of paper, she needed to get back to the pawn shop and write down what she stole.

She pulls out her phone to check the time. 4:00. Her profiler was on too and her phone was pointing directly at Aiden. It showed his name surprisingly and his age. 41 years old. It also showed his birth date, May 2, 1974. That was today.

She thought about today's events and couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"That's no way to be treated on your birthday."

He should at least get a little treat for his birthday. The syringe should wear off in thirty minutes. She didn't want to give him a big birthday cake because they don't last very long and what would he even do with it? She wanted to give him something that would last.

Donuts wouldn't work because they don't last long either. Maybe cookies. Cookies that's it. They can last up to 3 weeks. She gets back on her bike and heads towards the cafe downtown that held a pastry shop.

The little bells ring as she walks in through the door. She goes over to the pastry and sees different varieties of cakes, buns, and cookies.

Clara didn't know which flavor he liked, so she decides to get every single flavor. The woman behind the counter hands her a big bag of cookies. Clara takes the bag and suddenly remembers something.

"Excuse me, but do you have a piece of paper?"

Once she returns to Aiden, she puts the bag of cookies in his lap and places the note on top so it would be the first thing he'd notice when he wakes up.

She looks down at him for a moment. A part of her wanted to wake him up and talk to him. She shakes her head.

"No, not now."

She sighs before getting back on her motorcycle. She takes one more glance back at the shipping container Aiden was in.

"I hope he'll be okay."

She truly meant it. She leaves the area and on her way to the pawn shop, she thought about today's events. She had run into not one, but two old friends today. She actually felt a sense of being home. It was as if she wanted to be back with the old gang. She liked being with her father in the Black Dragon, but she also enjoyed today.

"Enjoy your birthday present, Aiden."

* * *

Aiden wakes up with a pounding headache. He rubs his head before feeling something in his lap. He looks down and a sweet aroma fills his nostrils. The smell was coming from a bag resting on his lap along with a note on top. He picks up the note first and reads it.

 _Dear Aiden_

 _If you're reading this,_ I _assume you must be confused_ _as to how you got here. Some men tried to abduct you and sell you for money, but I put a stop to them. I brought you here so that way no one would find you while you're unconscious. I also got you some cookies which are inside that bag. Take them or leave them. I left them as a present. Be careful out there and don't get yourself kidnapped again._

 _From, Anonymous_

 _P.S. The cookies are on me_

 _P.P.S. Happy Birthday_

Aiden immediately grew confused. How did this stranger know his birthday and why did they help him? Also, who would be nice enough to give him all of these cookies?

He peeks the bag open with his index finger and sees different flavors of cookies. He chuckles at the sight of them. Should he eat them? After constantly running from fixers, he was hungry. Whoever this stranger was, Aiden would surely thank them.

* * *

 _Journal #7_

 _I'm sitting on my apartment building again. I have a lot to think about. Today Dedsec called me and asked if I could take out somebody for them. The person was a Chicago South Club member and he had data that could expose me to the world. I don't want anything to do with Dedsec anymore, but an urge to get back at the club for placing that hit on me._

 _So I took the job and I happened to run into some old friends. I ran into Raymond Kenney at the Ctos station Dedsec told me to go to. I've always admired his work and as I recall, he was a whistle-blower. His friend, Tobias, was also with him. They didn't exactly see me because I was on top of one of the satellite buildings to help them fight off fixers with a sniper._

 _That's who those men were. I asked my father about men like that and they were basically hitmen who target people and kill them. I think I just made new enemies with these guys._

 _Anyways, I was glad to see them, but I didn't want to stick around for too long so I left. While leaving, guess who I ran into next. That's right, Aiden. I saw him fighting off a bunch of fixers in the middle of the road. Trust me, there was a lot. He must have a huge contract on him. Regardless of all the fixers, he just fired a couple shots at their cars and they exploded. He honestly is amazing at what he does. That's why I stuck with him 2 years back._

 _One of the fixers tried to kidnap him and sell him for money, but while I was saving him, I felt this strange anger. Maybe after having hitmen try to kill me, perhaps I have a new pet peeve about fixers._

 _Today is also Aiden's birthday. I found out by checking the time and my profiler was on too. I wanted to give him a present such as a treat. I concluded to cookies since they are one of the most delicious food items in the world. I got a whole bag of them and I also left him a note which I hopel he read._

 _I left after that and I no longer felt any kind of anger for Aiden. Instead, I was in a good mood because I saved his life. God knows what thise fixers could have done to him if it weren't for me. I helped out some old friends today and I just might celebrate by getting a little treat for myself._


	8. Chapter 8: Nostalgia

It has been a few days since Clara's encounter with T-bone and Aiden. She was about to make her next robbery at another jewelry store. It wasn't as high tech as the one on her first attempt, it was just an average jewelry store. Clara decides to bring the same weapons she usually brought: two silenced pistols, her daggers, and of course her grapple gun.

This time, she wasn't going to steal random jewelery and take it back to the pawn shop. She was going to steal a special bracelet for someone who she hasn't visited in a while. Lena Pearce. After rescuing Aiden, it made Clara think about her involvement in Lena's death. She has not visited Lena ever since she was shot, but today she is leaving something besides flowers.

Wearing her usual attire, Clara gets her bike from the car valet and heads towards the jewelry store. She parks her bike at a distance from the store, as usual, and studies the place. The store was a bit small, but there were guards blocking the front door. They looked to be police officers.

Clara gets off her bike and aims one of her pistols towards a hispanic police officer, who was blocking the door, and delivers a headshot. He dies instantly. The officer standing beside him quickly takes notice and kneels towards his dead partner. Feeling upset, he starts searching for his partner's killer.

Clara almost felt bad, but immediately brushes off the feelings. She needed to get that bracelet. The cop wanders away from the store; heading the opposite direction from where Clara was. Clara was about to aim her pistol at him and fire, but she hesitates and decides not to kill him. He was only doing his job.

She quietly goes towards the jewelry store while his back is turned and peeks inside the store. She could see an enforcer with his back turned to her. She hated those guys and they were a pain to take out because of the protection they wear.

He stood in front of the table that contained the bracelet Clara was going to get for Lena. It was a golden bead bracelet with a star in rhe middle. She goes inside and hides behind one of the jewelry tables. She waits for the enforcer to move away, but he doesn't budge. She didn't want to wait any longer.

She pulls out her grapple gun and shoots at the enforcer. The hooks attaches to his suit. The hook drags him towards Clara and he is pulled to the ground, causing his rifle to jump out of his hands. Clara grabs his rifle while standing above him. The enforcer looks up at her and immediately recognizes her.

"You?" He starts, but doesn't finish once she starts pounding bullets into him with the rifle. Bullets push through his protective gear and he screeches before dying. She strides over to the bracelet in a hurry and snatches it. Suddenly, one of the cops outside spots Clara and calls for backup. Clara fires her pistol at him, but it was too late, backup had already been called.

She dashes back to her motorcycle outside with the bracelet in her hand and begins her escape. Two flashing police cars who were called as backup spots her speeding past them and they turn around to follow her in pursuit. Clara hears sirens coming from behind her and sees the two police cars following her.

She speeds up while pulling out her phone. She activates one of the dedsec hacks she saved on her phone and creates a blackout. The whole area was plunged into darkness and it was hard for police to find their target. Clara tried her best to see what was ahead of her. Suddenly, the sound of the sirens start to fade away. Had they lost her?

She doesn't look back and keeps driving. Eventually, the sirens were gone which gave Clara the courage to take a quick glance behind her. She turns, but doesn't see anyone behind her. She looks foward at the road and spots a cemetery ahead of her. Right on time.

Clara parks her bike next to the gate entrance before getting off. The lights turn back on and as she walks in, she can already remember the dreadful memory. She felt like she was in the scenario all over again. She reaches Lena's grave and pulls out the bracelet. She hears a brushing noise and looks around frantically to see what it was. It was just the wind blowing on the trees.

She felt a little paranoid coming back here. A part of her mind expected hitmen to get up from their hiding spots and start shooting her while another part expected Aiden to show up. But they don't. She was only surrounded by darkness and gentle wind.

The only thing that produced light was the full moon. The light seemed to shine right on Lena's grave.

She inhales sharply before speaking, "Hello, Lena. It's been a while since you've last seen me. Even though I've never met you, I'm sure that if you were still alive today, you would make something of yourself. Unlike me, who is doing bad things like stealing."

She was silent before continuing, "I got this bracelet for you."

She places the bracelet on top of her tombstone while trying to hold a lump forming in her throat. She wasn't going to cry. She wanted to, but she didn't. She stares at her grave for a few more seconds before turning away. She had to leave. She didn't want any more memories. She strides towards her bike and starts to leave. She thought about what she had juat said back there.

"I really need to stop talking to myself."

* * *

Even though it was a warm sunny morning, it felt grim for Aiden. He was woken up at 3 am by fixers, causing him to lose another apartment. Although, he scrambles his signal, they still keep finding him.

Every now and then, he would have to find different apartments to stay in. Eventually, he would have no home and he would be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Blume already knows about the bunker so he coudn't go there.

Right now, he has managed to get a new apartment in Pawnee. He thought about this whole lifestyle and it might be time for him to leave Chicago. It was just a thought and he didn't know if he'd really leave or not.

Regardless of all the fixers, he wanted to visit Lena. He hasn't made the time to go visit her because of the run-ins with these fixers. On his way to the cemetary, he couldn't help but think about what happened a few days back. Who saved him? T-bone? No, he wouldn't be the type to leave him hearts and flowers and then take off. Could it be her?

"No, she's dead Aiden," he thought to himself.

He wondered what happened to Clara's body. It's likely that someone must have called an ambulance and rushed her to the hospital. The news was saying that she's dead. He hated to see it because he felt guilty about not saving her in time.

He thought about how he got mad at her for helping Lucky Quinn, but she didn't know what he planned to do. He was too overwhelmed by the stress of having his data stolen and he wanted to know who ordered the hit on him.

Still, she was the closest he ever had to a friend and she was one of the best hackers he knew. He could have talked to her and try to work things out, but instead he went to the Merlaut to finish Lucky Quinn.

It has been 2 years since he last saw her alive. Guilt fills his heart once he reaches the cemetery. He gets out of his car and walks slowly towards Lena's grave. Aiden looks down at her picture. He could almost remember all of the memories with his family like it was yesterday. While Nicky would be busy putting Jackson to bed, Aiden would often read bedtime stories to Lena because he knew that was the only thing that would put her to sleep the best.

He could also remember the birthday parties. Nicky would make him help with decorations in order to throw a surprise birthday party for Lena or Jackson. He missed those times.

Aiden was brought back to reality once he notices a shiny object inside the flowers. He reaches for it and picks it up. It was a golden bracelet with a star in the middle.

"How did this get here?"

Someone must have left it. Who would leave something like a bracelet on Lena's grave. Aiden didn't think it was a bad thing. He was used to people leaving her flowers, but a bracelet? Who would leave it? Nicky and Jacks left the city, so it couldn't be them, unless they came back to visit. Aiden doubted that.

Perhaps it was the same person who left him cookies. There was only one person that he could think of. Clara. It can't be. She used to leave flowers for Lena, but he saw her get shot twice. She wasn't moving while she was on the ground.

He now wanted to stay in Chicago and find out who was doing this. He returns to his car and while driving, he sticks his hand inside the bag of cookies. He pulls out a chocolate chip cookie and takes a bite.

* * *

It was another day off and Kenshin has decided to take a walk around the city. He has heard a lot about a thief who has been stealing from jewelry stores and they still get away with it. There were several TV's around the city, so anywhere he went, he would hear the news talking about the thief. One of the TV's showed the news talking about another robbery.

"Police are investigating yet again, another robbery taking place inside a jewelery store. Usually the thief, otherwise known as the Black Dragon, would steal multiple pieces of jewelry. However, employees only found one piece of jewelry missing, which was a golden bracelet. Three police officers, who were on duty that night, were shot and killed by the Black Dragon."

Kenshin shakes his head.

"One police officer got a glimpse of the thief. What we know is that she looked to be in her late 20s. She was also driving a street sport motorcycle while being chased. Here is a sketch of the thief."

A picture pulls up showing a woman with a black and white mohawk wearing a bandana. The woman suddenly looked familiar to Kenshin. Flashbacks of a familiar mohawk haired woman entering his school fills his mind. Could this be his student?

Kenshin was the type of person who would immediately recognize someone no matter how different they looked. The photo was interrupted by an ad. Kenshin sits on a bench and searches Clara's name in the search engine. Several results come up. The most popular one stated that she was shot and killed at a cemetery. Another showed a theory of her being alive.

"This must be some sort of mistake," Kenshin thought.

He then stumbles across pictures of Clara lying on the ground in a bloody mess in a surveillance canera. He scrolls through them and realized it was her in the picture. He stops once he finds a comparison between the Black Dragon and Clara Lille. Kenshin looks back and forth at the two pictures. He then realized that this was his student.

* * *

 _Journal #8_

 _I don't know why, but I feel drained. I've been up since 10:00pm and something is picking at me. I can't sleep. Giving up on tossing and turning, I've decided to write down my thoughts that are keeping me from sleeping._

 _I think I'm getting tired of this whole lifestyle. I've just gotten so used to it that I want to take a break from it. Something else is bothering me though. I visited Lena's grave a couple of hours ago and I left her a bracelet that I stole. I didn't tell my father I was going to steal like I usually do. I didn't want him selling the bracelet because I wanted to give it to Lena._

 _I felt something strange when I went to the cemetery again after a year. I think I felt a sense of nostalgia. It was almost like this lifestyle doesn't make me feel at home. Even though my father is family, I was thinking of taking a break. Maybe I should do something different tomorrow like going shopping. Of course not at a jewelry store, but perhaps a mall. I'll do that._

 _As long as I don't spend so much money, I should be fine. Reaching this conclusion, I now feel some relief. I'm going to try and get some shut eye before it reaches midnight. I don't like going to sleep so late._

* * *

 **No, I am not being racist because I mentioned the officer was hispanic. I've been writing a lot and on my notebook, I've reached chapter 13. There's a lot more coming so keep reading ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: Deep trouble

**So the new watch dogs 2 trailer came out today and I don't know how I feel about it. I don't know the whole story, but I might get it. The bracelet that Clara stole from the last chapter is actually the profile picture for this story. Forgot to mention that. This chapter will not have a journal because of the events that happen. Anyways, enjoy the chapter**

* * *

(The next day at the Chicago Police Department)

"What do you mean he was shot?!" A police officer, Maria, shouts at detective Sheila.

She sighs before answering, "While your brother was on guard duty, he was shot and killed by the Black Dragon."

Maria was in disbelief. She shuts her eyes to push back tears.

"I'm sorry, Maria," Sheila tells her, "There's going to be a funeral held for him next week."

Maria takes a deep breath before opening her eyes.

"She killed him. That stupid bitch killed him," she tries not to shout again, "I will find this woman no matter what it takes."

"Look, don't get crazy. You should take some time to grieve for your brother before jumping to conclusions."

"I'll grieve as soon as this woman is behind bars."

Before detective Sheila could say anything back, Maria turns on her heel and stomps out of the building. She goes outside and leans against the department walls. She couldn't believe her brother was dead. He was just doing his job and this is what he gets. Maria was going to find this thief no matter what it took.

* * *

Clara just got done picking out a few pieces of clothing. She bought some more mousse for her hair, and some vanilla perfume. She didn't have her grapple or daggers with her, but she did have a gun inside her purse just in case she would need it. She left her journal at home too.

Carrying her shopping bags, she makes her way to the escalator. She could have sworn she saw a few people watching her from a distance, but she ignored them. She didn't want to deal with any paranoia on a lovely day.

Clara was wearing peep toe heels she had bought along with bright blue short shorts and a black tank top to show off her tattoos. Sure, her gunshot scars could be a bit visible, but they were mostly covered up by the tattoos.

This was actually one of the fewest times she bought something with her own money. She felt like a spoiled child because her father usually payed for everything such as her apartment, her car valet, her motorcycle, and her weapons.

Suddenly, she spots a tall man walking confidently towards her. He wore a jet black suit with a silver necktie and his dark brown hair was combed back, but slightly messy. He was quite good looking, but Clara had no interest in him.

He stops in front of her and starts speaking, "Excuse me, miss," his voice was deep, "Do you know where the food court is?"

She did know where it was. She remembered passing it while shopping.

"It should be right down there."

She points towards the direction behind her. Not looking towards where she was pointing, the man continues to look down at her.

"You should be able to find it on your way there."

"Actually, I was hoping you could come with me," he says while looking up and down at her appraisingly.

Was he catching onto her?

"I can't, I need to leave," Clara tells him.

"Why leave so soon?"

He steps closer and suddenly wraps one arm around her waist. Taking this by surprise, she says, "Please let go of me. I have to leave"

She tries to pull away from him, but she is only pulled closer. Clara easily caught the scent of his cologne. Keeping a firm grip on her bags, she remembered that she had a gun inside one of them. However, she didn't want to pull it out right away because she was in a public place.

While Clara tries to decide what to do, he leans towards her face and places his other hand on her cheek. Now he was too close to her. She tries to push him away, but he had a firm grip on her and he wasn't letting go. She grew irritated. She didn't want this man to ruin her day.

She raises one knee and kicks him hard in his crotch area. He lets go of her and groans in pain.

"Ah! Get her! Grab the bitch!" He shouts through gritted teeth.

The man seemed to be talking to someone behind her. She turns around and sees three men stalking towards her. They were dressed as the same men who shot her at the cemetery.

Immediately, she drops her bags except for her purse and starts running towards the escalator. The men quickly run after her. Reaching the escalator, she could see people standing on the moving stairs. They were blocking her way. Not seeing another escape route, she dashes down the escalator while pushing people out of the way.

Midway down, she jumps over the staircase and lands safely on the ground. Seeing the men pushing past the people on the escalator, she makes a break for the exit doors.

Suddenly, she hears a gunshot from behind her. The bullet almost hit her and she could hear civilians screaming. The automated doors open and she makes it outside. Now she had to remember where she parked her car.

Her run turns into a slow jog as she searched each parking spot, but her car was no where in sight. She sees the men exiting the mall and separating to search for her.

"Câlisse," she swears in a panic.

Her feet were starting to hurt from the heels she was wearing and the walking. If she couldn't find her car, she was screwed.

She then remembered that she had her car keys inside her purse. She must have been too distracted to think of her car keys. Clara pulls them out and presses the button that would automatically start up her car. Flashing lights appear in the corner of her eye and she turns to see her car in a parking space.

As if it were a miracle from God, Clara rushes towards her car and gets inside. She pulls out of the parking lot and gets on the main road. The men see her leaving and they enter their own vehicles before chasing after her.

Seeing the men pursuing her, Clara speeds up. Keeping one hand on the wheel, she shuffles through her purse in search of her gun. She finds it and pulls it out. Looking in the side view mirror, she sees one of her pursuers holding a pistol. The gunman sticks his gun out the window and shoots at one of her tires. The tire gives out, causing her to slow down.

She swears once again as the pursuers catch up to her. Their car appears right beside her's. She rolls down her window and fires one shot at the gunman. The bullet strikes his arm and he releases his gun. The driver of the car suddenly turns his car towards her's and starts ramming it. Several scratches and dents appear on the side of Clara's car.

She was about to shoot at them again until she sees traffic lights up ahead. There were multiple cars waiting at the red light. She slows down while her pursuers pass her. She pulls out her phone and hacks into the traffic lights. The lights turn green which made most of the cars go foward. The pursuers fell right into the trap. Their car was smashed back and forth by all the cars that fell for the green light. The men inside the car were killed by the impact.

Clara parks her car on the side of the road due to her flat tire. She looks around for anymore pursuers before exiting her car to look at the flat tire. She walks towards the back of her car to see her tire flat from the bottom. She needed to call her car valet.

Clara searches through her contacts on her phone and finds his number. She was about to call him until she hears sirens from a distance. She looks up to see police cars heading towards the traffic light mess. Clara could see a cop in one of cars turn to her. The cop, who was a woman, seemed to recognize Clara. She stops her car and alerts the other police officers around to help her.

Clara groans then starts running towards a nearby forest. This turned out to be a terrible idea. She already had a hard time stumbling past the branches. Heels and branches are a foul mix. She could take them off, but that could lead to her bare feet being spiked by snicker bushes.

Before she could realize, her toe rams into a rock buried into the ground. She cries out in agony and hears footsteps behind her. Suddenly, series of shocks radiate through her body . Through the shock, she could see that the female cop who saw her earlier, had tazed her. Unable to move, Clara was about to fall until she caught by another police officer. Handcuffs are wrapped around her wrists and she is taken to a police car.


	10. Chapter 10: Prison Break

**Alright so I don't know what exactly happens in prison. I'm just taking this from what I've seen in the game. Enjoy.**

* * *

Clara had blacked out after being tazed a second time. She wakes up in a small spaced room and she was sitting in a metal chair with a table set in front of her. She felt something cold around her wrists. She looks down to see handcuffs. Clara realized that she was in an interrogation room, which means she just got arrested.

Anxiety overwhelms Clara. This was something she tried to stay away from. This could also expose her identity.

"No," she mutters beneath her breath.

She was alone and she could see cameras watching her every move. The door opens and two women enter the room. One looked to be a detective and the other was a cop. The cop looked to be the same one that tazed her. She looked angry.

"Clara Lille," the detctive starts, "I'm detective Sheila. We assumed you were dead."

Clara remains silent.

"Was your death supposed to be some kind of hoax?"

Keeping eye contact with her handcuffs, she still says nothing. Before Sheila could continue, the cop interrupts her.

"What influenced you to steal things and kill people who were clearly doing their jobs?"

When Clara stayed silent, the cop steps closer to her.

"What was so special about that bracelet you had to steal? Was it precious enough to make you kill my brother, who was only doing his job as a police officer?! To protect people from monsters like you!"

Clara opens her mouth to say something but quickly closes it. A part of her wanted to tell the police why she has been stealing. She didn't want to be seen as a monster, but she knew she was. That's all she was. A monster who kills people to make money.

Clara tries to fight back tears while Sheila pulls the angry cop away who was about to hit her.

"Give her a second, Maria. She might talk."

Sheila folds her arms and continues, "Look, I've seen a lot of crazies out there. You may be a killer, but there is more to you than that. I think there is something you're not telling us."

She was right. Clara was holding something back, but she had to say something before they could get to her associations with Aiden.

Clara finally looks up at both of them and says, "I wish to remain silent. I want to see my lawyer."

Maria was about to step towards her again, but once again she was stopped by Sheila. Clara knew that saying this would make them stop questioning her because they legally had to. Even though, they could still try to question her, but instead they take her to her cell.

* * *

Clara sat on a rough, hard bed, which was now her's. She couldn't stay here. She doesn't even think she can survive here. They had put her in an orange uniform. It was very uncomfortable because she didn't have a bra underneath. She just had a white undershirt.

While on her way to her cell, she got a good look at the place and the prisoners shouting at her. Echos of the words, "Bitch, thief, and killer" ran through her head. She had to admit prison definitely gives her time to think a lot about her lifestyle right now. She actually was thinking of not doing it anymore.

Clara wished her father was here to tell her that it was going to be okay. But he isn't. She was alone.

She hears noise coming from outside her cell. She gets up and peeks through the small window on the door. It was a female prisoner trying to break out of her handcuffs while two guards try to keep hold of her and put her in her cell. She was screaming almost like a wild animal. They manage to toss her in her cell and shut the door before she could escape.

Clara sighs. All she was trying to do was have a nice day and this is what she gets. She needed to get out of here but she also needed to figure out how.

Hours pass and all Clara did was sit and think about how her name was now on the news. What if Aiden sees it and figures out that she is really alive. A part of her was scared to confront him. People now recognize her as a killer and a thief. She buries her face into her hands.

She wanted to cry but she also wanted to hold everything in. Suddenly, her cell door opens and she is greeted by a female police officer. Clara quickly looks up.

"We're taking you to the exercise yard. Don't act up or you'll be put in solitary confinement. Understand?"

Clara nods. This was how she was treated; like a child.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get up."

Clara gets up and waits for the guard to cuff her, but instead she grabs Clara by her right shoulder, which was where she was shot. Clara winces in pain, but the cop didn't seem to care. She is taken out of her cell and pushed foward.

"Move," she commands.

Holding in her frustration, she starts to follow a guard in front of her. Every few seconds, the guard behind her would push her again and again if she thought Clara was going to slow. They lead her upstairs and take her to the roof. Clara is taken outside to a yard full of female prisoners. Some were in groups chatting with each other while others were playing basketball.

The guards move away from Clara and start patrolling the area. What would she do now? She didn't want to be with any of the prisoners. Especially after hearing what they had to say to her while on her way to her cell.

Clara looks around and sees a brick wall with no one around it. She steps into the hot sun and gies over to the empty spot. She tries to appear calm while walking past prisoners. She didn't want to show any kind of fear. She sits down with her knees in front of her and she leans back against the wall.

Clara didn't know how long she would be up here. Prison was a whole new thing for her and she didn't want to get used to it. Up ahead, Clara sees a prisoner coming towards her. She looked to be 200 pounds. She stops in front of Clara and gives her a sharp glare. She must have known what Clara did to get in prison.

Clara looks up at the woman blankly. She was still trying to hide her emotions. There was silence between them. Clara waited for the woman to make, but she only continued to glare at her.

Breaking the silence, Clara finally says, "What?"

The woman immediately responds, "I know all about your hobbies; killing people, stealing, and hacking. I also heard about you and Pearce. What did you two do, sleep together?"

Clara felt a hidden rage building inside her.

"Huh?" The woman presses on.

Clara sighs before standing up and facing the woman.

"You got something to say? What are you going to do?"

When Clara wouldn't respond, she shouts, "What are you going to do?!"

The prisoner pushes her against the wall . The gunshot wound inside the back of Clara's neck starts to hurt from the impact. The woman suddenly wraps one hand around Clara's neck and puts her in a strong steanglehold.

Desperate to breathe, Clara takes both of her thumbnails and digs them into the woman's eyes. She immediately lets go and tries to swing at Clara. She dodges her fist and swings her own at the prisoner. Clara strikes her in the nose , causing it to bleed. She then grabs her with all of her strength and pushes her against the wall.

Before Clara could do anything else, something strikes her hard in her ribcage. She soon finds out that a guard had struck her with a baton. Clara was now on the ground and there were two guards hovering over her. They pick her up by her arms and they start to carry her off the roof. Clara didn't think she could handle anymore.

While she is taken downstairs, she spots a gun inside one of the guard's holsters. Clara's arm was right next to it. She reaches for it and manages to grab the weapon. The guard takes notice and tries to pull Clara's arm away. Clara manages to aim the gun towards the guard's stomach and fires. She turns to her left and shoots the other guard in the leg. They both collapse on the floor.

She didn't see any other police officers ahead of her. Keeping the gun close by, she sees a set of stairs ahead of her. While quietly walking down stairs, she expects to see guards, but there was only an empty room in front of her. She slowly walks in and hears chatter from another room ahead. They had to be more guards.

Clara sees and office to her right and through the glass window she could see a rifle. She enters the office and switches her pistol for the assault rifle. She exits the office and heads towards the doors that lead to the laundry. There seemed to be no other way out. She would have to go in there.

Clara breathes in sharply before going over to the doors and kicking them open. She is greeted by two male officers in front of her. She quickly aims her rifle at them and fires at both of them. They were taken down instantly. Clara glances around and sees guards all around the room.

She takes cover behind a laundry bin. She could see police taking cover as well. They start shooting towards Clara's direction. As soon as they stop to reload their guns, Clara peeks her head out and fires a couple of rounds at the guards who were too late to take cover.

Eventually, she kills every guard inside the room. She sees as open door with steam coming out of the room. She enters the room and she doesn't see anyone.

"All units, possible prison escape. Be on the look out for Clara Lille," she hears on the intercom.

She needed to leave now. She was about to leave the laundry until she spots a bag ahead of her. She opens it and much to her surprise, she finds her phone. Using her phone to hack into the garage door, she was now out of prison.

Clara didn't see any guards inside the room she had just entered. This room looked to be the exit. Keeping her rifle and phone close to her, she makes her way towards the exit door. As soon as she opens it, she is greeted by several police cars and a helicopter above.

"Drop your weapon or we will open fire!" A policemen shouts with a gun pointed at her.

Clara realized she was on a roof of a building. She could see several parked cars around the area. There was no way she could have a toe to toe gunfight with all of these cops. They would shoot her before she wouod have the chance to raise her rifle. That's when she remembered that she had her phone. It was dark outside . She could create a blackout.

Clara begins to slowly drop her weapon while trying to hide her phone. Using Aiden's strategy, she places her hands in the air with her phone hidden. Before the cops could do anything, she clicks the blackout icon on her smart phone and the whole area was plunged into darkness.

Clara runs towards a parked car and unlocks it with her phone. The police take notice of Clara starting up the car. She starts driving around the roof in search of an exit. She spots the L-train railroad tracks. Driving as fast as she could, she drives off the building and lands on the tracks.

Luckily, there were no trains in sight. However, the only thing chasing her was the helicopter. Suddenly, her car leaps off the tracks and lands on the road. That's when a gunmen inside the helicopter starts to shoot at her car. She drives beneath the tracks to keep the person in the helicopter from seeing her. The light from the helicopter disappears and Clara could see it searching another area. Eventually, she loses the helicopter.

Sighing in relief, she turns her car around and heads back to her apartment. All of this felt new to Clara. Although, she was used to fighting and committing crimes, she has never been in a kind of place like prison before. She needed someone to talk to. After everything she just endured, she needed some inspiration.

She wanted to talk to her father. He was the only person she knew that would give good advice. His voice was always soothing. Clara wanted to go to him, but she needed to get out of the prison uniform first.

Clara reaches her apartment and gets out of the car. Luckily, no one was out at this hour to see her. She sneaks into her apartment without anyone seeing and she quickly opens the door and closes it. She sighs heavily before sitting down on her bed. Clara lies down on her back and relaxes.

Staring at the ceiling, she wondered what she would do about the news reports. Now, she couldn't go anywhere without someone recognizing her. Curious to know if her escape actually hit headlines, Clara grabs the remote sitting next to her and switches on the TV. Some cooking show was on. She switches to WKZ and immediately they were talking about the prison break.

"Police are searching for a woman who managed to escape Palin Correctional Center, also known as a prison. Her name-"

Suddenly static fills the screen and a Dedsec member appears on the screen giving the usual message. Clara felt a sense of relief but she was also curious to know if anyone has seen the news reports about her. Has Aiden seen it?

Her phone vibrates once the Dedsec message was done. Clara reads the caller ID and sees a bunch of zeros. Of course, it was Dedsec calling her. What do they want? She clicks the answer icon and presses her phone against her ear. She really wasn't in the mood for another job they needed her to do.

"What?" Clara says with irritation.

"Hello again. We just wanted to let you know that in return for your hard work, we will be covering any news broadcasts about you."

Her annoyance turns into surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes, however your name can still be found in the paper."

"So, the message I just saw on the screen."

"That was us. You can thank us later."

Clara felt like a huge weight ws lifted off of her shoulders. The call ends and she felt as grateful as ever. Now it was time for her to get out of this uncomfortable uniform.

* * *

 _Journal #9_

 _Well, my only shot at feeling normal again was ruined today by fixers and police. In my previous journal, I said I'd go shopping right? Well I did, but it looks like I have a fixer contract on me because these men started chasing me around the mall. Then police show up and I get arrested. The prison they put me in was awful._

 _They had me in an uncomfortable uniform, the guards pushed me around, and some of the prisoners were crazy. I can't believe this, but I actually escaped prison and it looks like my ass is covered from being on the news. Dedsec told me about an hour ago that they would interrupt any news reports about me. Although, my name can be found in the paper, that's the only problem. Other than that I should be fine._

 _I have to admit, being in prison gave me time to think. It's definitely a place I don't want to be in again. It made me think more about quitting this lifestyle. I'm done with killing people for my own greed. Some thing about visiting Lena Pearce changed me. I never forgot her name. I gave thise monsters the information to find Aiden and his family._

 _I've been doing the exact same thing as before. This is what I've been trying to stay away from. I need advice from my father. I don't care how late it is. He's probably still working anyway._


	11. Chapter 11: Like father, like daughter

Clara's car was gone so she had to go by motorcycle. She wore a full face helmet in order to keep people from recognizing her. On her way to the pawn shop, she sees the news come on a couple of TVs around the city, but nothing about her.

Clara parks her bike next to the shop and gets off, leaving her helmet on the seat. The place was empty when she walked in. The lights were still on, but there was nobody behind the counter. Clara could hear chatter coming from the hideout below. She goes behind the counter and opens the door.

Going downstairs, she sees blood splattered against Alex's door, which was wide open. Clara feared the worst as she moved closer towards his office. She stops once she hears Alex raise his voice. He was still alive. Clara didn't want to go directly in because who knows what might be going on in there?

She creaks open an office door beside her and hides behind it. At this angle, she gets a better look. Clara could see Alex standing in front of a man tied up in a chair. The man's face looked bloodyand his left eye was surrounded by a dark shade of purple.

"I'm not a cop," the tied up man exclaims.

"Really?" Alex starts, "Explain this."

Clara could see him pick up a piece of paper off of his desk. He displays it in front of the man and reads, "Henry Dofflin, which was not the name you gave us, 38 years old and works for the Chicago Police Department. So you, Henry, are an undercover cop. It says it right here. Why?"

She could hear his accent come out more through each sentence. She knew that he was angry.

"T-That isn't right. I swear it isn't."

"Save your whining, Henry. You can brag all about it in the afterlife."

Alex picks up a gun that was resting on his desk.

"No, wait!" The man shouts.

Her father points the gun towards the man's face and without hesitation, he shoots. Clara gasps and her eyes widen. Alex must have heard her gasp. He turns his head towards Clara's direction, but she was quick to pull her head back into the room she was in.

Clara slowly walk backwards and hides behind the door.

"Clean this mess up," he says to one of his employees.

Clara couldn't believe she had just witnessed her father killing someone. He was always so gentle, but this was way too different. A childhood figure to Clara has turned into a killer. Has he done this more than once?

Clara could hear her father's footsteps heading towards the office she was in.

"This door shouldn't be open," he says while looking around the room in search of anyone, unbeknownst to him, his daughter was right behind the door.

Alex takes one last look before closing the door. Clara releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She needed to get out of there, but she didn't see any kind of exit inside the office. She decides to wait and listen for anyone that leaves.

Clara hears footsteps heading back upstairs and she didn't hear anything else outside. She opens the door and peeks her head out to see if anyone was there, but there wasn't anyone in sight. Shutting the door, she heads towards the stairs.

"Clara, you showed up just in time. I need to talk to you," Alex says not too happily from behind her.

Clara takes a deep breath before turning to face him. She felt like she couldn't even look at him, so her eyes move towards his office door. There was no blood on it like there was before.

"Come here," he gestured her towards his office.

Clara follows him in his office and he shuts the door as soon as they're inside.

"Listen, Clara, I know about you getting arrested, which is sloppy work for a Black Dragon. What in God's name were you even doing?"

Clara sighs from the disappointment in her father's voice before replying, "I was shopping."

"Also why did you help Dedsec? You know they can expose us."

Clara could hear the edge in his voice.

"I know, but they were saying that someone from the Chicago South Club had data on me."

"Oh they're a bunch of liars Always trying to lure new members in with poetic words. Is that how you got with them in the first place?"

Clara knew the reason was not because of their messages, but to forget about her mother's death. She looks down at the floor and says, "No, I didn't."

"Clara, you shouldn't get arrested. Do you know how much that puts the Black Dragon at risk?"

"Aren't you even going to ask me if I'm okay?" Clara blurts out, "Do you know what I had to put up with in there? Also Dedsec was right about the club having data on me, so how are they going to hurt us?"

"Don't get smart with me. You have become stubborn and bull headed. This effects your work."

"Oh that's what this is about, work? It's always about work to you isn't it?"

"I'm focusing on this business to keep us afloat! I keep up with it so you can have a place to live in! In return, you should help out rather than complain!"

"I've been helping out, and I'm sorry that I just wanted a chance to feel normal again and get punished for it," she starts to raise her voice, "I'm sorry that I disappointed you, but I need a break from all of this! I don't think I can live like this anymore!"

Her father grew quiet. Clara sighs heavily.

"By the way, make sure people aren't around before you go shooting someone."

Alexandre's mouth drops open. Without another word, Clara opens the door and storms out of his office. She gets back on her motorcycle and takes off.

Hiding her sorrow beneath her helmet, she returns her motorcycle to the car valet and walks back to her apartment. Going inside, she looks down at her reflection on her helmet.

"Like father like daughter," she thought.

She shakes her head and places the helmet on the kitchen counter. Clara struggled to sleep that night. A night of tossing, turning, and images of her father has left her restless. Only getting three hours of sleep, she wakes up to her phone ringing. Wiping her eyes, she reads the caller ID. It was Shaun.

She answers, "Hello?"

"Hey, I need to talk to you about something. You got a minute?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

Clara could hear him sigh over the phone before replying, "Ok, I know I'm not normally serious with you, but it's about my daughter."

"What about her?"

"Well she turning 6 this week, and her birthday party is going to be on the fourth of July. I've told her about you and she really wants you to come."

"What do you mean you've told her about me?"

"Let's just say she knows about your lifestyle."

"You tell your five year old daughter about what I do?"

"Yeah," he says as if it were normal, "Anyway, she was hpoing that you could go and I'll make sure it's a private party and only people we know show up. I'll make sure the kids leave you alone too."

"Hm...I don't know."

"Oh come on. We'll have a large, in ground pool and a hot tub. When was the last time you've ever been in a pool or a hot tub?"

Clara thought about it. Last time she went swimming was at a hotel in Quebec with her mother and father when she was 8. She couldn't remember much of what the water felt like because it was so long ago.

"I mean you do need some time to relax after all the shit you've had to put up with right?"

"I'm being chased by fixers, I just arrested yesterday, and you want me to relax?"

"Why not?"

Clara was silent for a moment before replying, "Ok, I'll go."

"Great!" He sounded happy, "I'll give you directions to our house. All you need is a swimsuit and whatever you're going to wear over it."

Clara has never heard such a bright tone from Shaun before.

"I'll tell her you're coming. Wait, no. I'll make it a surprise. Make sure you show up early at 1. Okay?"

"Okay?" She laughs a little.

"Alright, I'll see you soon."

With that, he hangs up. Clara extends her legs out underneath the covers and rests her head against her black silk pillow. For the first time, she could actually get her mind off of what happened with her father. Maybe this birthday will help her calm down.

* * *

 _Journal #10_

 _I don't know what to think of my father anymore. I caught him killing someone. He shot someone who he thought was an undercover cop. Maybe he was a cop, but Papa didn't show any remorse at all. I just wonder if back in Quebec, he killed people for his business._

 _That cop could have had a family and he was only doing his job. Although, I did the same thing whenever I stole that bracelet for Lena and escaping prison. I shot thise cops and they must have had families too._

 _Maybe I'm just like my father. I always thought of myself as a father's daughter, but not like this. I don't think he cares for me anymore either. Perhaps I'm wrong, but he's so caught up in this business that all he talked about was how me getting arrested affected my work. He didn't ask if I was alright at least. I guess he's mixed up in his own web of stress._

 _I got a call from Shaun today. He asked me if I could go to his daughter's birthday party. Of course, i said yes because he mentioned a pool and hot tub. He said he'll keep the party private and I hope he's right. I don't want to put up with anymore fixers or police._

 _I'm buying a swimsuit and I was thinking of getting a bikini. Let's just hope I don't run into any fixers when I get to the store._


	12. Chapter 12: The birthday party

Today was the day of the birthday party. Clara has decided on wearing a black and blue triangle bikini top with string side bikini bottoms, which were the same the color. She was wearing a white tank top with blue jean shorts as a bathing suit cover up and flip flops.

Clara didn't need to follow Shaun's directions because she could easily trace him. She runs one search and his name immediately pops up. She arrives at his house. It looked to be a mansion. The house was a dark brown color and it was surrounded by a wide open yard of freshly cut grass.

The smell of the grass fills her nostrils as she gets off her bike and heads towards the door. She rings the door bell and waits for Shaun, or somebody to answer. Looking around, she didn't see a lot of parked cars outside his house. It must be because she showed up early. Clara could also see an in ground pool in his backyard.

The door opens and she is greeted by Shaun. He grins widely once he sees her.

"Good, you showed up early. Come on in," he says.

Shaun shuts the door behind her as she walks in.

"Peggy, who is my wife, has taken the birthday girl out to pick her swimsuit. They should be back in an hour, so could you help me put up decorations?"

"Sure," Clara says as she studies the inside of his house.

There was already food set out on the kitchen counter such as chips, macaroni salad, vegetables, and cookies. Clara grew hungry at the sight. Turning away from the food, she notices that the inside of Shaun's house almost looked like her apartment. The floors were made of hard wood and the walls plus the furniture was well furnished.

Maybe Alex pays for Shaun's place too, or Shaun has been a member of the Black Dragon for a long time. Either way, Clara did not want to think about her father. She wanted to enjoy today and not worry about anything.

Clara starts helping Shaun with the decorations. About an hour later, the door opens and a blonde wokan enters with a little girl by her side. The woman must have been Peggy and the little girl was his daughter.

Clara could see Shaun pull them both into an embrace. After wishing his daughter happy birthday, Shaun leads her to the kitchen, which was where Clara was. The little girl gasps once she sees Clara sitting on one of the chairs next to the kitchen table.

"Is that really her, Daddy?" The little girl asks with excitement in her voice.

Her father nods. The little girl's mouth drops open as she gazes up at Clara in amazement.

"Wow," she whispers.

Clara couldn't help but smile down at her. She was a pretty cute girl. She had bright blonde hair just like her mother's, except it was in small curls. She had big green eyes and she was wearing a white tank top with a pink flower in the middle along with khaki shorts. Clara realized that she didn't know her name.

"I'm sorry, but your father never told me your name, little one."

"My name's Teresse. You can call me Reese if you want," her voice was high pitched.

Clara thought she sounded adorable. She notices Teresse's mother standing next to Shaun.

"And you must be Peggy."

Clara extends a hand out to her and they both shake hands.

"Yes, I am. It's good to meet you, Clara...Lille?" Peggy mispronounced her last name.

"Lille," Clara corrects her.

"My apologies," Peggy tells her.

A knock at the door interrupts their conversation.

"I'll get it," Shaun says as he leaves the kitchen. Peggy follows him out.

Now it was just Clara and Teresse. Teresse sits in one of the chairs next to Clara.

"You're really pretty," Teresse compliments Clara.

"Thank you," Clara says feeling flattered by her compliment.

Clara could hear another child's voice from the living room. Teresse immediately recognized it.

"Tiffany! Teresse shouts as she jumps off the couch and rushes into the living room to play with her friend.

Clara leans her head back on the chair.

"Very energetic girl," she thought.

She wondered if Lena was this energetic whenever Aiden would come over. Clara shakes her head.

"Get a grip, Lille."

She was here to have a good time, not to feel sentimental. More guests arrive, most of them were parents with their own children. Eventually, Clara goes outside to swim. She removes her tank top and shorts, revealing her bathing suit.

Glancing at the pool, which was filled with children, she decides to go to the hot tub since there was only one person in it. She walks over to the tub and she could already feel the steam rising from it. Getting closer to the tub, she sees Peggy sitting in it with her eyes closed.

Clara dips her foot inside water and she almost jumps back from the heat. Peggy could hear Clara entering the hot tub. Opening her eyes, she greets Clara warmly.

"Hello, Clara. How's the party?"

Once Clara settles in with the hot water, she answers, "It's going well. You have a nice house. How did you afford all of this?"

"Well, I didn't exactly pay for it, Shaun does. Whenever he, you know, does what he does, he makes a lot of money from it."

"I'm also curious to know what he tells Teresse about me. She seemed very excited."

Peggy flips a strand of hair over her shoulder before replying, "Yes, she really does idolize you just like she looks up to me and her father. She knows what Shaun does and what you do. She doesn't know about the killing part though."

Clara was surprised at how calm Peggy was acting about her daughter being familiar with crime.

"The only problem is that I think he's got fixers after him," Peggy says passively.

"You're not concerned about that?"

Peggy shakes her head. Clara could remember fixers from the mall chasing after her.

"Peggy, those contracts can get big, and I mean really big."

Clara could recall the amount of fixers after Aiden. The way they tossed him into the ambulance gave Clara a shiver down her spine.

"You need to be careful," Clara speaks in a low whisper, "Who knows what they will do to you."

Peggy glares at her and says, "How about we stop talking. They could be watching us right now."

Her face then softens and she grins in a jokingly fashion. Clara couldn't believe she was actually joking about fixers. However, Clara didn't want to talk too much about them. Every time fixers were brought up, it would either remind her of her enecounter with Aiden, or being at the mall that day.

They both sit in silence, enjoying the bubbles rising from the tub until a familoar high pitched voice interrupts them.

"Guys, Daddy's about to set up fireworks! Come on!" Teresse tugs at her mother's arm.

"I'll be out in a minute," Peggy tells her, "Perhaps Clara can take you."

Teresse gasps and starts begging Clara to take her to the pool to watch fireworks. Clara smiles at Teresse's excitement before stepping out of the tub and she immediately felt cold after getting out of the hot water.

Leading Clara towards the pool, Teresse quickly jumps in, which causes the water to splash against Clara's legs. She soon joins Teresse in the pool and the sky became dark enough for fireworks to show. All was well for everyone at the party, but there was just one thing. There was a fixer watching from a distance.

* * *

"She's here," he says over the phone.

"Alright. What I want you to do is follow her back home, "Maria tells him, "Monitor what she does and report back to me if anything new happens."

"Ok," he answers.

Maria hangs up and places her phone on her kitchen table. She had just hired fixers to go after Clara because she didn't think the police were doing enough to catch her. Clara even manages to break out of prison. Maria was determined to find Clara abd she would hurt others, if necessary, to catch her.

* * *

 _Journal #11_

 _Well, the party was alright. The food was delicious, the pool had lots of space to swim in, and regardless of getting sunburn on my cheeks, I still had a good time._ _I met Shaun's six year old daughter, Teresse, and she's an energetic one. Her mother, Peggy, doesn't seem to mind that her daughter knows what I do. She only tells me that Teresse doesn't know about the killing part. What does that mean? Has Teresse seen me on the news?_

 _I'm still depending on Dedsec to cover that for me. I'm not sure what Shaun told his daughter about me, but he needs to be careful. Peggy doesn't seem to take fixers seriously even though she knows what they do._


	13. Chapter 13: Teresse

**Author's note: In the journal for this chapter, one of Clara's nightmares happens so it will be told in her point of view.**

* * *

(One month later)

As the warm water splasges against her skin, Clara grabs a bar of soap and rubs it down her arms, stomach, and legs. Showers were another way to help Clara relax. She hasn't been stealing in the past month ever since the birthday party, or the argument with her father. She has taken a break from her life of crime, and she has to admit that it feels less stressful. For the firat time in what felt like forever, she feels like herself again. Clara might even get her old tattoos back, or have her recent ones removed completely.

Deciding on which one she should do, she could hear someone knocking on her door. After washing the last bits of soap off her body, Clara steps out of the shower and puts on her dark silk robe. Exiting the bathroom, she goes to her closet and pulls out a gun.

Slowly approaching the door, Clara opens it while keeping the gun behind her back. As soon as she opens the door, she jumps back once a familiar little girl wraps her arms arounf her waist. It was Teresse. Clara places her gun on a nearby shelf while Teresse was distracted. Clara sees Shaun and Peggy at the door.

"Sorry about that. She's just excited," Peggy says.

Teresse lets go of Clara and steps back to give her space to move.

"About what?" Clara cocks an eyebrow.

Shaun steps in and says, "Well since you're the only girl I know who's part of the Black Dragon, we were wondering if you couod babysit Teresse. It'll only be for a week."

Clara never was much of a babysitter, but she did admire children.

"Sure, but why? Are you guys going on some kind of vacation?"

"As a matter of fact, we are," Shaun explains, "We are going to our favorite places in Chicago. It's for our anniversary and we could use some time to ourselves. You don't mind watching her do you?"

Clara shakes her head.

"No, it's fine. I hope you two have a lovely vacation."

"Oh trust me, we need it," Shaun grins.

Teresse runs up to both of her parents and hugs them tightly. They say their goodbyes before Shaun murmurs to Clara, "Make sure you watch over her. Don't let anything happen to her."

Clara nods. Shaun and Peggy walk hand in hand before leaving her apartment. Clara shuts the door before looking down at Teresse. She looked as lively as ever. She held a pink bag that looked to be filled with books and toys.

Looking down, Clara realized that she was still in her robe. Glancing towards the couch, Clara tells Teresse, "Can you sit on the couch while I change back into my clothes?"

"Sure," Teresse says sweetly while turning around and moving, as if she were playing hopscotch, towards the couch.

"Don't touch anything," Clara raises up a finger.

"Ok," she says.

Clara goes to her bedroom and shuffles through her closet. She finds a white t-shirt with black jeans. After changing, Clara walks out of her bedroom and sees Teresse wandering towards the gun on the shelf, which Clara put there after Shaun arrived. Before Teresse could pick it up, Clara runs over to her and pulls her away.

Clara kneels down in front of her and tells her, "I told you not to touch anything."

"I wasn't going to touch it. I was just going to look at it. I'm sorry," Teresse says as if she were hurt.

Clara sighs, "It's alright," she says softly, "Just don't go near any weapons."

Clara stands up and guides Teresse to the couch. They both sit and Clara asks her, "Just out of curiosity, what does your father really tell you about me?"

Teresse cross legged before replying, "He says that you steal jewelry, but don't worry, I won't say anything, " she says the last sentence in a low whisper. "The reason why I like you so much is because you look really cool in the news. Another person I want to meet is the Vigilante."

Clara chuckles at Teresse's mispronunciation of the word 'vigilante.'

Teresse pouts at her. "Or the Fox. I really want to meet him because he saves people. What if the two of you were together? That would he so cool!"

Clara looks away from her recalling that they were together, but only as friends.

"What's wrong?" Teresse cocks her head to one side with big wondrous eyes looking up at Clara.

Clara tirns her attention back to Teresse and smiles.

"Yes, that would be pretty cool."

"Can we go to Quinkie's?" Teresse changes the subject.

"Sure."

Clara takes Teresse to a car she had rented, not stole. Teresse sits in the back and Clara starts driving. Teresse held her pink bag on her lap. She sticks her hand inside and pulls out a gray stuffed bunny. It had a large pink bowtie wrapped around its neck with long ears bent downward and it had a small pink nose.

"I have a fluffy bunny," she says to Clara, "Do you like it?"

Teresse sticks the bunny out and wiggles it back and forth. Clara looks in her rear view mirror and sees the bunny.

"Yes, it looks really nice."

Teresse smiles at her compliment. Through the whole car ride to Quinkie's, Teresse constantly told Clara stories about crazy things that happened in her life. Clara laughed at some of them while others were hard to believe. Teresse went on and on until she got her food. She turns quiet for a little bit with a mouth full of food, but quickly starts speaking once she swallows it all.

"Clara," she says while scarfing down her fries, "Can I call you mom?"

Clara was surprised to hear her question.

"Don't you already have a mum?"

"Yeah, but I call her mommy!"

"Well we don't want to get them both mixed up," Clara tries to change Teresse's mind.

"Oh right. I didn't think of that."

"Why do you want to call me that?"

"Because I want to give you a nickname and I think of you as family. Since we're all family here, I want to give you a nickname like a family name."

"Ok, well you can call me Aunt Clara I guess."

"That works!" Teresse gasps.

Before Teresse could tell Clara another story, a car rams into the back of Clara's car. Clara looks in the side mirror and sees five red cars behind her. They all looked to be together and they were all headed towarss Clara's car. The same car rams into her trunk once more.

Teresse jumps out of her seat and looks behind her. Her mouth shapes into an "o" once she sees hiw close the car was to her.

"Who is that, Aunt Clara?"

"I don't know, but stay buckled in."

Clara steps harder on the gas to make the car go faster. Luckily, the road they were on had very few cars so no one could block their way. Taking her phone out of her purse, Clara keeps one hand on the wheel and sees blockers ahead of her. Driving past them just in time, Clara activates the blockers. They go up. Three foxer cars were demolished by the blockers, causing the other two behind them to stop.

"Woah, you can do that too?" Teresse breathes out as she watches in amazement.

Clara was too distracted to hear what she said. The other two cars drive off the road in order to catch up with Clara. Before they can get any closer, a steam pipe breaks beneath them. The explosion destroys the cars and kills the fixers inside. Clara slows down and sighs in relief.

Teresse settles back down in her seat and asks, "Who were those guys?"

Clara thought about her response before replying, "They're just some guys looking for trouble. Nothing to worry about."

Teresse only shrugs it off and says, "Some people are too crazy to drive, but you whooped their asses!"

Clara's jaw drops open.

"Where did you learn to speak like that?"

"I don't know, but should I tell mommy and daddy about this?"

Clara frantically shakes her head.

"God no, don't tell your parents."

Teresse pretends to zip her mouth closed and says, "Don't worry, I promise I won't tell them. I've got your back, Aunt Clara."

Clara smiles once hearing her new nickname. They spend the day together on the road. Once they return home, the sun was going down. Clara reads her clock. 8:00pm. She gazes at Teresse, who was sitting on the couch while holding her stuffed bunny.

"What time do you usually go to bed, Teresse?"

"Now, I guess."

She puts down her bunny and starts shuffling through her pink bag. She pulls out a book and extends it out to Clara.

"Can you read this to me? It'll help me sleep."

"Sure, I'll get you a pillow and a blanket."

Clara leaves the living room and goes to her bedroom to retrieve one of her pillows. She then goes to her closet and pulls out a spare blanket. Returning to the living room, she sees Teresse curled up on the couch with her bunny while waiting for Clara. Clara places the blanket over Teresse and gives her the pillow.

Once Teresse is comfortable, Clara picks up the book from the couch and sits down beside Teresse. She opens it up and starts to read. After reading the book word for word, Clara looks over at Teresse who was fast asleep.

Clara thought she was a brave young girl. They almost dies today from fixers, but she didn't seem to give a care in the world. Shaun must have gotten her used to danger or maybe she watches a lot of action movies.

Clara also wondered if Aiden would read bedtime stories to Lena. Every time Clara would run into a child, it would some how make her think of Lena. Clara gets off the couch, careful not to wake Teresse. She changes into her pajamas and makes herself comfortable in her bed. She soon falls asleep.

* * *

 _Journal #12_

 _(Dream sequence)_

 _I'm in my bathroom and I'm trying to brush the last knot out of my half shaved hair. I'm visiting my mother in the hospital. She has been suffering from breast cancer for the past couple of months now. Doctors tell me that she sleeps a lot and I'm starting to worry that she's dying. I've been checking on her through out the week and she seems to be getting weaker by the day. I want to make sure she's okay._

 _I get into my car and drive towards the hospital. Hard rain pounds against my front window and I am forced to put my wind shield wipers on full speed. Reaching the hospital, I get out and rush towards the hospital through the rain._ _Once inside, I slow down and approach the lady behind the desk._

 _"I'm here for Susan Lille," I tell her._

 _"What are you to her?"_

 _"I'm her daughter."_

 _She nods and leads me to my mother's room. The lady opens the door for me and I step inside. She exits, leaving me alone with my mother. I frown once I see her. Her head was completely bald and I could hear her shallow breathing. She appeared to be resting._

 _I walk up to her and try to fight back tears as I lightly shake her arm to wake her._

 _"Mum," I whisper._

 _I shake her once more and her eyes flicker open. She looks up at me and smiles._

 _"Clara, I'm so happy to see you," she says weakly._

 _My mother gestures towards a chair sitting next to her bed._

 _"Sit down and talk to me. There is no hurry."_

 _I do what she says and I reach for her hand resting in her lap. I clasp her hand onto mine and we start to talk. We talk about the usual stuff: how life's going, my job as a tattoo artist, etc. Eventually I move on to her and how she's doing._

 _"I don't know if I have much longer Clara, so I want you to listen to me carefully," she starts, "If I don't make it, I don't want you to feel sad because I hate seeing you upset. I want you to take care of yourself and I know it's hard living without your father, but I know you can get through it. You're a very strong and smart girl."_

 _My breathing grows quicker as tears form in my eyes. No, I can't lose her._

 _"Mum, don't say that. You're going to make it."_

 _Her hand tightens around mine and she says almost in a whisper, "I love you, Clara. Nothing you do can change that. No matter what you are, I will always love you."_

 _I shake my head at her dying words and I caress her face. Her eyes start to close and I felt as if my whole world was falling apart._

 _"Mummy, please no," I sob, but it was too late._

 _I could feel the grip from her hand loosen and her eyes shut completely. I mutter "no" over and over again as I press her knuckles against my lips. Tears flow down my cheeks. I felt like I just lost everything._

 _My eyes shoot open with sweat around my face. I'm lying down in my bed. My cheek were tear stained and I felt the same pain that I did on that dreadful day when my mother died in front of me. She was the only family I had left and I lost her. I didn't have any siblings, nor any cousins that I know of._

 _My eyes grow watery again and I try to grasp at the reason why I was dreaming about my mother._

 _"Mummy," I mutter as I continue to silently cry against my pillow._

 _A knock at my door startles me and I hear Teresse, who I'm supposed to be babysitting for a week._

 _"Clara, can you open the door?" Her voice sounded shaky._

 _I try my best to wipe the tears away with my blanket so I can at least look presentable. I glance over at the clock. It was midnight. What would Teresse want at this hour? I get up and turn on the light. I look at my reflection in the mirror to make sure my crying wasn't so obvious before moving to the door. I open it and I see Teresse who also looked like she has been crying. She was clutching onto her bunny while looking up at me in fear._

 _"What's wrong?" I ask in concern._

 _It took her a few seconds before she replied, "I'm scared about those men in the cars today. What if they go after mommy and daddy?"_

 _I sigh and kneel down in front of her._

 _"They're going to be fine. They're way out in Chicago and those men are gone anyways."_

 _"But what if more bad men come after them?"_

 _"They won't. I promise you," I say in a soft tone._

 _"Can I sleep with you in your bed?" She asks abruptly._

 _I felt a little akward at the thought of someone else's child sleeping in my bed so I tell her, "Why don't I stay out there with you until you fall asleep. Does that sound like a good idea?"_

 _"O-Ok," she stutters._

 _I go to the living room with her and she gets on the couch. I sit next to her and I wait patiently for her to go to sleep. Instead, she talks to me and asks me questions like she usually does._

 _"Clara, do you ever get scared?"_

 _"Yes," I say the truth._

 _"Well what are you scared of?"_

 _"Death I suppose."_

 _Or getting shot at a cemetery or watching my mother die._

 _"I'm like you in a way," Teresse smiles a little._

 _"I guess so."_

 _She continues to tell me about how she enjoys being with her parents. Eventually her voice drifts off and I could tell she was growing tired through every sentence. She yawns and beforw I knew it, she was out like a light. I digh once more before returning to my bedroom._

 _"Sweet dreams, little one."_


	14. Chapter 14: Tragedy

**Warning! This chapter is graphic and may be disturbing to some readers! Viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

(One week later)

Clara was waiting for Shaun and Peggy to arrive while playing chess with Teresse. Clara and Teresse spent the week watching movies, playing games, and going out to places to eat. She had a rather fun week with the young girl, but it was time to say goodbye.

There was a knock at the door and Clara knew exactly who it was. Teresse gasps in excitement and dashes towards the door. Opening it, she is greeted by her parents. Teresse hugs both of them before guiding them into Clara's apartment. Shaun was more than happy to see his daughter joyful, but he wanted to make sure she acted on her best behavior.

"Clara, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Shaun asks.

"Sure."

Shaun tells Peggy to stay with Teresse until they got back. Clara and Shaun go outside to talk.

"Be honest with me, how was she?"

"She was a bit jumpy at times, but she was good overall."

"What all did you do with her?"

Clara didn't want to tell him about their encounter with fixers.

"We went out and got food, I read her bedtime stories, and we played chess."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that she wasn't such a handful, or was she?"

Clara shakes her head.

"No, she acted fine."

Shaun smiles before replying, "Alright, let's go check on the girls."

Once they were back inside, Teresse and Peggy were no where to be seen.

"Girls?" Shaun calls out.

Clara and Shaun go to the kitchen to look for them, but when they got there, one of the chairs were knocked over. Clara also spots Teresse's bunny on the floor. Shaun started to worry so he calls out their names. Still no answer.

"Where the hell are they? They were just here," Shaun says in a panic.

They keep searching, but stop once they see one of Clara's windows open.

"Shit," Shaun mutters beneath his breath, "Where are they? What happened?"

"I can find them for you," Clara reassures him.

She ignores his confused look and pulls out her phone. She runs a search for Peggy and Teresse and their names immediately pop up. They weren't too far from where Clara lived. Shaun peeks over at her phone and sees their names.

"How did you-"

"I can track them through Ctos. I was with Dedsec," she interrupts them.

He nods in a sense of relief knowing where they were, but he was still worried.

"We'll need to bring weapons just in case." Clara tells him

Shaun pulls out a pistol hidden in the pocket of his jeans.

"You may need more than a single pistol. This could involve fixers."

Clara strides over to her closet and pulls out a grenade launcher and her daggers.

"I think I'll stick with my pistol."

"Suit yourself," Clara says before leaving the apartment with Shaun.

* * *

Peggy and Teresse were tied up in separate chairs. Their wrists were bound together by duct tape and they were being guarded by two men. It looked like they were in a large building and it looked to be old and abandoned.

Teresse was always into dangerous things, but she never would have imaged herself in a situation like this. The same went for her mother.

"It's ok, Teresse," Peggy tries to soothe her.

Teresse was too scared to listen to her mother. Peggy wondered what kind of messed up life Shaun was in. Perhaps she should have listened to Clara about taking these things seriously.

A hispanic woman enters the building and approaches one of the guards.

"I don't see her yet, Maria," The guard tells her.

She sighs.

"Well keep watch if you do. I want this Clara girl found."

Peggy knew which Clara Maria was talking.

"Why are you after Clara?" Peggy interrupts them.

Maria turns to her in surprise, but quickly glares at her sharply.

"Why is that your business?"

"Because you kidnapped us and I should at least have a right to know why."

Maria takes a few steps towards her before explaining, "She murdered my brother during one of her break-ins. He was a cop who was working night shift at a jewelry store. Clara killed him for her own greed and the reason why you two are here is so that she can come here."

Teresse doesn't say anything. She only sat and listened while looking back and forth at Peggy and Maria.

"But we had nothing to do with your brother's death so why should we even be involved?"

"Listen, I have no intention of hurting any of you. You're only here so Clara can be lured here."

Maria was about to walk away, but Peggy says something that makes her stop in her tracks.

"Would your brother want this?"

Maria turns back to her and scolds, "He wanted to live. He wanted to do his damn job and he couldn't even do that."

"But what if he were here now?"

Maria steps closer to her and warns, "I think it's best if you stop talking now."

"No, what you're doing is selfish. You're using your brother's death as an excuse so you can abduct us."

Without thinking, Maria pulls out her gun and practically shouts, "My brother is not an excuse. You either shut up, or I'll make you!"

Fear quickly overwhelms Teresse.

"No please don't shoot my mommy!" She pleads.

Maria looks over at Teresse and a part of her felt bad, so she withdraws the gun. She was about to walk away again, but she could have swore she heard Peggy mutter, "You don't have to do this."

Maria turns back around, "Yes I do. I need to do this in order to cope with his loss."

"There are other ways to cope."

"Oh I've tried them: the grieving, moving on, but it's not as satisfying."

"Well I don't find this very satisfying at all," Peggy snaps, "I'm pretty sure your brother would be dissapointed in you if he saw you doing this. What kind of sibling are you?"

Maria pulls out her gun once more and presses it against Peggy's head.

"I'm not afraid to shoot you and I won't hesitate."

"Mommy," Teresse whimpers.

Too overwhelmed with rage, Maria ignores Teresse and presses the gun harder against Peggy's head.

Peggy only glares at her and says, "At least I'm not a cold heartless woman like you, who abducts women and children to lure people in."

"Shut up!"

Maria pulls the trigger, causing blood to spill from Peggy's head.

"Mommy!" Teresse cries out, "No, mommy!"

Uncontrollable tears rush down her cheeks as she tries to break free from the tape. Not eanting to listen to anymore of Teresse's crying, Maria tells one of the guards to take Peggy out of the building. She then leaves the building. Teresse was left crying with her now lifeless childhood figure being taken away.

* * *

Clara and Shaun follow the trace and they are lead to an abandoned warehouse. Clara sees two entry ways, a front and a back door. There were armed men guarding each one.

"We should split up. You take out the men at the front door and I'll do the same on my way to the back door."

Shaun nods before they separate. Clara gets into cover and sees a group of four men blocking the door. She aims her grenade launcher at them and fires. The grenade lands right in the middle of the group. It explodes, instantly killing the men.

The back door was wide open for Clara to enter. She goes up to the building and hides in front of one of the doors. She peeks her head inside and sees two guards standing in front of Teresse. Clara didn't see Peggy, but she noticed that Teresse was crying. She was either upset about getting kidnapped, or something must've happened.

Clara whistles to lure one of the guards towards her direction. It works. Once the guard got close enough to where she was standing, she stabs him in the neck with her dagger. Clara then grabs the gun out of his hand and shoots the other guard standing in front of Teresse. Teresse looks up with teary eyes and sees Clara coming towards her.

"They took away m-mommy," she sobs.

"What do you mean?" Clara asks as she carefully starts cutting the tape on her wrists with one of her daggers.

"They...they shot her and they took her somewhere. I don't know where."

Clara knew that if the fixers shot her, she had to be dead. She felt pity for Teresse and Peggy. She even felt sorry for Shaun even though he wasn't here yet.

"I'm going to get you out of here," Clara tries to soothe Teresse while removing the tape from her wrists.

"But what about mommy?"

Clara closes her eyes in sadness before replying, "If she was shot and taken away, then she is gone."

"No..."

"Come with me and we'll find your dad."

Clara could hear gunshots from outside.

"Come on, we need to go."

Clara picks up Teresse and holds her in her arms.

"I want daddy," Teresse chokes out through her crying.

"I know, we'll get you to him."

Clara rushes out of the building with Teresse. Teresse had her face buried into Clara's shoulder while sobbing.

"Mommy."

Clara found a spot behind the warehouse where she didn't hear gunshots and starts rubbing Teresse's back while she cried.

"I know," Clara says on the edge of tears.

She said it in a way as if she understood her pain, which she did. Clara did know what it was like to witness her mother dying in front of her. Clara looks around in search for Teresse's father, but instead finds Maria aiming a sniper at her. Clara ducks down and dodges the bullet while taking cover behind the warehouse.

Maria had her sniper aimed where Clara was hiding and she was ready to shoot as soon as she would peek her head out.

Clara puts Teresse down and tells her, "Stay here, okay?"

Teresse doesn't answer, but huddles close to the wall. Clara pulls out her grenade launcher and gets ready to shoot. Even though Teresse was behind Clara, she could see her father up ahead. He was sitting behind cover with his pistol in his hands.

Teresse knew she had to listen to Clara, but she was desperate to see her father. She leaves her hiding spot and was about to run towards her father.

Clara takes notice and shouts, "Teresse, wait!"

Clara tries to grab her, but she was too late. As soon as Teresse started running, a bullet from Maria's sniper strikes her stomach. Shaun could hear his daughter scream in pain. He turns towards the noise and sees Teresse collapse on the ground.

Maria's eyes widen in realization of what she had just done. She meant to shoot Clara, but she ended up shooting a child. Not being able to handle the guilt, she runs away.

"Teresse!" Shaun shouts in anguish.

He runs over to Teresse and flips her over. There was blood splattered all over the flower on her white tank top. Tears fill Shaun's eyes as Teresse looks up at him and tries to say something.

"D-dad..." she tries to make out.

But her eyes close and her little heart stops beating.

"Teresse? Teresse?!"

Shaun shakes her, but she doesn't wake up. He holds her up by her back and presses his head against hers while crying.

"Teresse, please no."

Clara felt helpless in the situation. She only stood and wished she could have grabbed Teresse in time.

"Please tell me Peggy is ok," Shaun looks up at her.

Clara only shakes her head and tries to fight back tears. At that moment, Shaun felt like his whole world fell apart. His family was everything to him and now they were gone.

* * *

 _Journal #13_

 _The weather of course fit my mood today. It was pouring down rain and I held up an umbrella for prevention of getting wet. Today, I am standing in front of Peggy and Teresse's tombstones along with a few other people, but Shaun was no where to be seen._

 _I turn to John, who was standing beside me, and I ask him, "Where's Shaun?"_

 _John turns to me with a sad expression and says, "No one's heard from him. Hell, he won't even talk to me. I don't blame him. Poor guy has lost his family."_

 _I only nod and turn back to the tombstones. I had Teresse's bunny with me, so I could put it next to her tombstone. I'm sure she would like it there. Everyone places their flowers on both of their graves. When it was my turn, I walk up to Teresse's grave and place the bunny next to her tombstone._

 _This reminded me of the toy sheep that was sitting on Lena's grave. That's when something hit me. The crimes, the killing, and Teresse. All of it was the same thing Aiden had done. He killed people, he was Lena's uncle and Teresse would call me aunt. I went through the same thing Aiden went through. I got a taste of my own medicine._

 _I let go of the bunny. I had to leave it, it was too much. I stride away from the funeral and the graveyard. As I kept walking, I reached downtown and it stopped raining. The sun starts to show as I sit down on a bench._

 _I didn't know what to think of the Black dragon anymore. My father and I have been pretty distant lately. Maybe I should quit. I need to talk to someone, but who? Perhaps I should go visit Shaun and see how he's doing. Lost in thought, a voice startles me._

 _"Is this your way of relaxing from your crimes?"_

 _I look up and I see Kenshin. My martial arts teacher? What was he doing here? And how did he-_

 _"Do you mind if I sit down with you?" He asks._

 _I shake my head and he sits down on the bench beside me._

 _"I've read the headlines about your break ins."_

 _Well it looks like Dedsec didn't cover up everything._

 _"I want to know why you used the things I taught you for personal gain."_

 _I sigh before replying, "I wanted my father to be proud of me."_

 _"Your father was the man who came in with you on the first day, right?"_

 _"Yes, and I hadn't seen him in a really long time. He told me he ran some kind of business called the Black Dragon," I start telling him the truth, "He said it involved stealing and it would be a tribute to my mother, who died of breast cancer. So thats why I came to your school in order to learn how to fight. Although, after stealing for a long time, I wanted to quit because I was tired of killing."_

 _I go on to tell him about Peggy and Teresse's deaths, and I felt better after letting it all out. He seemed to understand._

 _"I can understand your commitment to make your father proud of you after not seeing him in so long. I also read about you working with Aiden Pearce. Did you enjoy your time with him?"_

 _I thought about it. After saving him and T-bone, I felt like I was awake, or I was freed from some kind of prison called my new lifestyle. I sort felt like I was home._

 _"Yes," I admit._

 _"And do you still enjoy this new lifestyle of yours?"_

 _I frown, "No."_

 _"Then perhaps it is time for you to quit. I'm not telling you what to do, you can make your own decisions, but I'm only advising you to do something that can make you stop. Go where you feel most at home."_

 _Maybe he's right. Should I go back to Aiden? Or should I leave Chicago and start a new life?_

 _"Thank you, Kenshin. I'll think about it."_

 _"I wish the best of luck to you," he says before getting up and leaving._

 _That will probably be the last time I see him. Talking to him helped me forget about Peggy and Teresse's deaths for a minute, but of course the thought creeps back in. Shaun must be going through a hard time if he didn't show up for his wife and daughter's funeral. I should check on him and make sure he's okay._


	15. Chapter 15: Last chance

**Alright, we're close to end of the first half of this story. After this chapter, we will get to see Aiden again. Sorry it took so long, but thank you for coming this far. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

It was a short drive to Shaun's house. Once Clara arrived, she noticed that Shaun's lawn was no longer freshly cut, it looked to be outgrown. That must mean that Shaun hasn't been taking care of himself either.

Clara noticed after coming up to the door, it was open ajar. Peeking her head inside, she catches an awful smell. Pushing the door open, she searches for Shaun. Analyzing the living room, Clara noticed that the coffee table was flipped over and there were beer bottles everywhere.

"My God," she whispers.

And there she sees him sitting on a bar stool in front of the counter in the kitchen. His back was facing her and he sat still.

"Shaun," she calls out to him.

He didn't move or respond to her. Clara gets closer to him until she was standing right next to him. His eyes were open but they were staring down at the counter. He had a beer bottle in his hand and he was just sitting there motionless.

"Shaun," she repeats his name.

When he didn't answer, Clara places a hand on his shoulder. After a few seconds, Shaun blinks and turns to her. There was nothing but sorrow in his eyes. He sighs before taking a large gulp of his beer. Clara sits on one of the bar stools beside him.

"I went to the funeral today. You didn't come," Clara tries to piece the words carefully.

Shaun still wouldn't answer her.

"It must be hard for you."

He was quiet before making out the words, "It is."

Shaun lets go of his beer and places his hands on his lap before turning to her.

"Do you know why I joined the Black Dragon?" He asked her.

Clara shakes her head.

"It was because of Peggy and Teresse. I remember when Peggy was six months pregnant. We were homeless because our old house burned down, so I needed money to get a new one. That's when Alex called me. He knew what we were going through and he offered me a job. I was so desperate to get a house for me and Peggy that I didn't care what the job was, so I took it."

Clara never suspected that a fun energetic person like him would have such a troubled past.

"We made a lot of money and we had enough to get a new house. We got it just time when Teresse was born. Both Peggy and Teresse meant the whole world to me. And now they're gone," he says with a heavy heart.

Clara frowns.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Shaun. The only thing I can tell you to do is move on. Don't drink yourself away from all your problems."

Shaun lightly nods and says, "Yeah...yeah I should move on."

Clara thought she was getting through to him, but his hands move into his jean pocket. He pulls out his pistol and quickly aims it towards his head.

"No wait!"

Before Clara could stop him, he pulls the trigger. Blood spills from his head as hid lifeless body collapses on the floor. Clara stand up and her mouth drops open. She didn't know what to think. This was too much for her to handle. Without another thought, she pulls out her phone and calls her father.

He answers at the third ring, "Clara?"

"I'm done."

"What do you mean you're-"

"I'm quitting the Black Dragon," she interrupts him.

"What?!"

Clara hangs up before he can finish and leaves Shaun's house. She did not once look back on her decision.

* * *

 _Journal #14_

 _I've done it. I've officially quit the Black Dragon. I just witnessed Shaun commiting suicide. I tried to talk to him beforehand, but he couldn't deal with the pain of losing his family. Everything's gone to shit and I don't want to be part of any of this anymore._

 _What was my father thinking? What was I thinking when I took this job? I should have known from the start that this involved some things I couldn't handle. Maybe I should return to Aiden or leave Chicago. I know the smartest option would be to leave, but I want to reunite with Aiden more. I just feel better with the idea of seeing him._

 _Before I meet him again, I'll have to bounce my signal so fixers don't come after us. I've seen the amount of fixers after him and the ones after me will only double their numbers. I'll need to work on that but it may take a while._

 _As for my apartment, I'll need to abandon it. My father still rents the place and he'll be pissed if he knows that I'm going to be with Aiden. Maybe I should get my old tattoos back too. I don't want any memory of the Black Dragon._


	16. Chapter 16: The Dragon meets the Fox

**Alright it's finally here! You guys will be seeing Aiden in this chapter! Make sure to enjoy and remember if you don't like the story then don't read it. Let's get started!**

* * *

(Three months later)

Clara spent a few months trying to forget what happened with Shaun, Peggy, and Teresse. Not only did she witness her friend ending his own life, but she also witnessed his little girl dying. All of it was disturbing to Clara and it sure as hell was a lot to take in.

She hasn't heard from her father since she told him that she was leaving the Black Dragon. Through the past couple of months, Clara wondered what he was doing. Was he searching for her? Was he worried about her? Did he even care?

The thought of her father brought her back to the memory of watching him kill somebody. Regardless, he was still her father and she still had a special place for him in her heart.

She had to get rid of her tattoos. They were what reminded of her the most about everything that had happened. She thought carefully about what to do with the roman coin and she decided to hold onto it.

She also worked on hiding her location by routing her packets through botnets. Clara never thought she would find herself using the trick, but with her situation with fixers, she had to.

Clara stuck with the decision to reunite with Aiden. She thought it might help her at least try to forget about everything that has happened. It could help with the fixers, yet again it could also worsen it. Aiden had fixers after him too.

But how would she be able to see him again?

Maybe Clara could try to hack and install a backdoor inside his phone if she ever did see him. Perhaps mess around with him for a bit and get him to come to her. Yet again that whole idea sounded dangerous. Once Aiden would find her, who knows what he'd do to her?

It was around night time when Clara was out and about roaming the streets of Chicago. She could hear police sirens from a distance and quickly hides behind a tree. Clara could see the red and blue lights of the cop cars drive past where she was.

Clara peeks her head out from the tree and notices that the cops weren't looking for her. They were going after another car. The car they were chasing stops. The driver of the car gets out and that's when Clara realized that the cops weren't just going after any citizen. They were going after The Fox.

The cops were already out of their cars and had their guns pointed at Aiden. Clara knew they were expecting his blackout trick when one of them said, "Put your hands up and don't even think about trying anything!"

Aiden held his hands up in surrender. Clara caught no sight of his phone in his hand. Was he actually planning something, or was he really surrendering to the police? He wouldn't do that would he?

Clara could see a steam pipe beneath the cop cars. She could tell what he was planning to do.

The police officers slowly make their way towards Aiden. They weren't taking any chances. However, Aiden didn't seem to move at all. He kept his hands still. As the police got closer and closer to him, Clara grew anxious by each second that passed.

She didn't want to take the chance of him getting arrested, so she hacked into the steam pipe and blew it up. The loud boom sent the cops to the ground. Although his mask hid his expression, Clara could tell he was slightly confused.

Aiden glanced around looking for his savior for a few seconds. Clara hid behind the tree once more in high hopes that he wouldn't be able to see her.

She could hear a car door slam shut and she could see Aiden start up his car again. Should she try to hack him? She was compelled to meet him again. She started the backdoor process before he took off.

Clara grew nervous because of what she had just done. She could hear his car come to a halt and she quickly takes off towards a crowd of people. While trying to blend in, Clara could see Aiden already scanning the area with his phone out. Clara began to walk faster when she saw him headed towards the crowd she was in.

She quickly turned right and was headed towards an alley which was probably a bad idea considering that she only had him at about fifteen percent. However, Clara still had her grapple gun with her so if Aiden did find her, she could make a clean getaway.

Halfway through the alley, Clara glanced behind her and immediately her heart dropped. Aiden was just 20 feet away from her. He had found her and he was waiting for her next move. Clara didn't know whether if she should tell him who she was, or if she should run away.

Clara couldn't tell what he was thinking because he hid himself through that mask. He probably didn't recognize her, so she decided to make a run for it.

Quickly turning around, Clara starts running away from Aiden as far as she could. She pulled out her grapple gun and was about to shoot upward, but a pipe broke loose beside her and gas blew in her face which prevented her from seeing what was ahead.

Clara wiped her eyes in a desperate attempt to fix her vision. Before she could do anything else, Aiden crept behind her and pushed her up against the wall.

She was taken aback from how quick he caught her, but she regained her posture and gazed up at him. His green eyes locked onto her's and his brows furrowed. Clara actually thought he looked intimidating.

Clara had dropped her grapple gun and Aiden had her pinned as far as she could go in front of the brick wall. Aiden stared her down for a few seconds before snatching her phone which was in her hand. He shakes his head at her.

"Did you really think that was a good idea?" He says in his rough voice.

Clara didn't know whether to tell him who she was now or simply tell him that she wasn't trying to expose him. She was almost terrified at this point so she stayed silent.

Aiden stops the hacking invasion on Clara's phone before putting it inside his trench coat pocket. He examined her once more until he found something familiar about her. This woman almost looked like a woman he once knew a long time ago.

Thats when Aiden remembered the necklace at Lena's grave and the bag of cookies that he had recieved for his birthday. Could it really be her?

Clara couldn't take much more of the silence between them so she decided to speak.

"A-Aiden," she stuttered while carefully gazing up at him. Him being much taller than her made her feel little compared to his height.

As soon as Aiden heard her voice, he could pick up part of her accent when she said his name. It couldn't be can it? But how could she be alive? He watched her get killed by hitmen.

"Clara?" He cocks an eyebrow and regardless of his mask, Clara could tell he was surprised.

Aiden takes a step back to take a good look at her. Her hair was up in an urban punk ponytail half shaved from both sides of her head. She still had her piercings but not her tattoos.

He couldn't fully process that it was her. He saw her being gunned down and her teary eyes gazing up at him in horror of the whole situation, but the look in her eyes also pled for forgiveness. Guilt lingered in his heart ever since that day.

" _Is it really her?"_ He thought to himself.

"Yes, Aiden. It's me," Clara answers his unspoken question.

Aiden took in her voice once more. He could never forget her voice. Still, he wasn't completely convinced. He refused to be tricked.

"Aiden, I.." she trailed off. There was so much she wanted to explain to him, but she didn't know where to begin. "I'm here, Aiden. It's really me."

He gave her a skeptical look, but a part of him felt like it was her.

"Aiden," she began, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not coming to you sooner, for making you believe that I was dead, but I just want to talk to you. We didn't get to talk things through before and I want to take that opportunity now, " she says hoping that what she said had sunk in.

He looked at her for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh.

There was a pause before replying, "Okay," he began to glance around to make sure no one would see them in the alley before he took a few more steps back to give her space.

Clara noticed that he still had his mask on.

"If you really don't want to be noticed then you should take off that mask. It could draw unwanted attention to the both of us," Clara thought she would inform him, but he probably already knew that.

Clara could hear a faint chuckle come from Aiden as he pulls down his mask, revealing his face. He looked a little bit older. Well no wonder. They've been separated from each other for 2 years. There was a bit more stubble on his face, but other than that he looked the same.

Aiden sighs before asking, "How are you alive?"

"After you left, someone found me and got me to a hospital," she bends the truth not mentioning her father, "I still do have the gunshot wounds."

Aiden instantly felt guilty knowing that she was shot because of him. He dragged her into that mess and she payed the price for it.

Clara took notice of Aiden's sudden change of expression and she instinctively places her hand onto his shoulder. His body softens into her touch, but a frown was still plastered on his face.

"It's alright, Aiden. It's not your fault," she reassures him.

Aiden only nods. Just then, they both hear police sirens from a distance. Clara could see the police cars passing the alley they were both in.

"Shit," Aiden mutters beneath his breath, "Come with me," he tells her before grabbing her hand.

Before Aiden could lead her away from the cops and while his back was turned, Clara quickly picks up her grapple gun that she had dropped and places it inside her leather jacket pocket. Aiden leads her out of the alley and uses his phone to start up a parked car nearby.

Aiden quickly gets inside the car on the driver's side before Clara got in the passenger's side. Aiden began to drive as far away from the police sirens as he could until he didn't hear them anymore. The two sat in silence. Aiden wasn't exactly sure where he was going or where he was taking Clara.

Aiden wanted to ask her what she had been doing throughout the years, why she didn't come to him sooner. He had so many questions to ask her, but he didn't know where to begin. Before Aiden had the chance to say anything, Clara was the first to talk.

"I know I didn't come to you sooner and again I'm sorry, but I want to settle this tension between us. I shouldn't have ran that search for that order on your family. I didn't know someone was going to get hurt," she began, "I just wanted to help you, but karma bit me right back in the ass. What I'm saying is that I really am sorry and I hope you can forgive me someday. It doesn't have to be today."

She could feel the guilt all over again that had been haunting her. Aiden glances at her, seeing the sorrow in her eyes.

"Clara, it's okay. We're past that."

"W-What do you mean we're past it?" Clara asks out of surprise.

He lets out a sigh before facing the road.

"Clara, I stopped being angry at you when I heard your message," he says remembering the day he witnessed her nearly getting killed.

"You listened to my message?" Her eyebrows raise in surprise

"Yeah. I realized how bad you felt and you were the only friend I had when my apartment blew up. You went out of your way to help me and there was no reason to actually be mad at you. You didn't know what the club was going to do."

"I should have known, I mean they're the Chicago South Club."

"Finding information was your job and how were you supposed to know?"

Clara couldn't believe that he had already forgiven her and yet she was angry at him for not realizing his mistakes. She was past that now.

Taking in what he said, she nods her head, "I guess you're right, but you've lost a family member because of me."

Aiden sighs heavily before continuing, "It wasn't your fault. It was all because of Lucky fucking Quinn. He ordered the hit on my family and he nearly killed you. Clara, I'm not mad at you. Not anymore," he says softly.

Clara turns back to the road and she began to remember that fateful day at the cemetary; the day she got shot. She remembered leaving that message for Aiden on her phone.

"Did you take my phone?" Clara asked him out of curiosity.

He nods

" I did."

Aiden reaches inside his coat pocket and finds her phone. He pulls it out.

"And I still have it," he says with a smirk before handing it to her.

He kept her phone? Clara was taken aback but she gladly takes it from his hand. The thought of Aiden holding on to her phone made her smile. Clara gazed down at her phone while rubbing her thumb along the screen. She remembered having the phone for a long time from 4 to 5 years.

She switches on her phone and sees a password box. She immediately remembered the password that she used; her father's first name, her mother's middle name, and Clara's last name. Alexandre Marie Lille. She figured that would be a suitable password given that no one really knew her father, nor did many people know about her mother's middle name.

Clara closes her eyes briefly before staring back at him with a huge grin on her face.

"Thank you," she says warmly.

"It's no problem," he replies with honesty.

He wanted to hold onto it in honor of Clara's death, but since she was here with him now, he figured it would be right to give it back to her.

Clara eyes moved towards her old phone which was sitting in her lap. She fiddled with it for a bit and started to wonder where Aiden was taking her.

"Where are we going?"

To be honest, Aiden wasn't entirely sure. He didn't know if she had an apartment or a house she was staying in.

"Well it depends, are you staying anywhere?"

Clara shakes her head. She hasn't found a new apartment ever since she left the Black Dragon. She has managed to stay in hotels, but other than that, she's been homeless.

"No," she scratches the back of her head.

"You've been homeless?" Aiden cocks an eyebrow.

"Well...I had an apartment a few months ago, but um..." She needed to come up with something. She didn't know if she was ready to tell him the truth, "I was evicted."

"Oh really? That sucks."

"Yeah," she let out a breath, "Um, I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you have an apartment?"

"Yeah, and you can stay, but just keep in mind I have a huge bounty on my head," he chuckles softly after finishing his sentence.

Clara quickly grew concerned. That had to be why those men captured him for money. Luckily, she was there to help him before he could be killed.

"And how long has this bounty been hunting you down?" Clara asks with a hint of worry in her voice.

"For a hell of a long time," he shrugs.

Clara slowly nods before tilting her head down, lost in thought about the day he was kidnapped.

He took notice of her troubled expression. "Hey," he grabs her attention and she looks back up at him, "I'll make sure they can't get to you," he tries to reassure her.

"And what if they get to you?"

Aiden was silent for a moment before replying, "They tried that once, but I managed to get away."

Clara softly snorts in response knowing all too well that she saved his ass. A smirk crept upon Aiden's lips, "So it was you."

"What was me?"

"You saved me from those fixers, didn't you?" His smirk grew wider.

Clara chuckles, "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

"You can just say you did," he rolls his eyes.

Clara sighs, "Alright, fine. It was me. I saw you having a gunfight between those fixers and when I saw one of them grab you, I just had to take action."

Aiden smiles at her warmly, grateful that she stepped in.

"How'd you know it was my birthday?" Aiden chuckles beneath his lips at the memory of him being left cookies.

Clara scratched the back of her neck, "I profiled you. I know the cookie idea was kind of silly, but you shouldn't be treated like that on your birthday. Did you eat those cookies?"

Aiden let out a small chuckle before replying, "Of course I did. They were delicious by the way, thank you."

Clara grins to herself proudly, "You're very welcome."

After another moment of silence Clara spoke once more, "So I assume we're headed to your apartment."

"Mmhm. You can stay until you get your own place I guess."

Clara nods. A part of her felt like she was bothering him by staying in his apartment, but Aiden acted as if he didn't mind. Maybe he has changed a bit over the years. Clara wouldn't know.

Minutes later, they arrive at the apartment. Once they got inside, Aiden excused himself to the bathroom. Clara took this opportunity to write her next journal.

* * *

 _Journal #15_

 _I've reunited with Aiden. I could tell he has changed and not just by look, but personality wise. He seems to be more laid back than before. Maybe it's because he avenged his niece and perhaps all the anger he held in had vanished._

 _Still, I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell him the truth. How would he react? He practically did the same things I did, but I'm not ready to tell him. At least not yet. Aiden is letting me stay at his apartment until I can get my own place. He isn't really angry with me anymore and I'm relieved about that._

 _I want to forget about what happened while I was in the Black Dragon. Being around Aiden makes me feel like I'm myself again. As if Shaun, Peggy, or Teresse's deaths almost slipped my mind, but it always comes back to haunt me. The truth has to come out eventually._


	17. Chapter 17: Trouble

**Hello readers! I just want to say thank you for your support. I know I didn't update in a while and that was because I felt discouraged to continue for a while. However, once I saw some of your reviews, I literally got myself up and continued from where I left off. Again, thank you all so much and I will post these chapters as soon as possible, but please be patient. Anyways, enjoy :)**

* * *

(One week later)

Aiden's gasped as his eyes shot open. He immediately sits up and analyzed where he was. He realized it was only a nightmare about Lena. He sat in his bed, sweat already forming on his forehead. He blinks rapidly before rubbing his eyes and letting out an exhausted sigh.

Yet again, he suffered from another nightmare about Lena. When would it stop? He could never seem to get over what happened. No matter how many times he tried to forget, it always crept back up on him.

He wished he would at least have a good dream about her just once. Aiden enters the bathroom removing his shirt and pants before turning the shower water on. He takes a warm shower to at least try to forget about the nightmares before putting on his attire and heading into the living room.

He finds Clara lying down on the couch fast asleep flat on her stomach. She had her arms wrapped around a pillow and her cheek was pressed up against it, making her mouth drop open.

She was wearing a dark colored tank top with matching colored sweatpants. Aiden had to admit that she looked beautiful.

Clara has been staying at his apartment for a whole week and they've learned to trust each other again. Aiden walks over to the kitchen and makes some coffee. He saves a cup for Clara before picking up his own and taking sips while watching the flurries out the window.

He didn't know how long they would be able to stay in the apartment without being caught by cops or fixers. Not wanting to think about it, he gets started on breakfast.

Clara wakes up to the smell of something good. She finds out where the smell was coming from once she sees Aiden in the kitchen. Clara smiles before rolling on her back and stretching her arms and legs.

She gets off the couch and approaches Aiden in the kitchen.

"Good morning," she greets him from behind.

Aiden turns to see Clara still sleepy-eyed from waking up. Strands of hair from her mohawk were sticking out of place, but she looked as pretty as ever.

"Morning," Aiden says with a smile forming on his lips. "Breakfast is not quite done yet. You want coffee?"

"Please."

He hands her a cup of coffee which was still warm. Clara gulps down half the cup before going into the bathroom and changing into a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. She has been shopping for her own clothes, but she didn't have a whole lot like she did before while she was in the Black Dragon. Those were the days when she was stealing, when she had a bit of a grudge against Aiden, when she was with her father, and when Peggy, Teresse, and Shaun were alive.

Clara hated to keep the truth from Aiden, but she'd have to tell him eventually. Clara goes back to the kitchen and spots an already made plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a glass of orange juice.

She sits down at the table and starts to nibble on her toast while watching Aiden prepare his own plate. She expected him to be a good cook especially with how he is. She never would have thought that the infamous vigilante of Chicago would be making her breakfast.

Aiden sat across from her and began to eat. As they sat in silence, Clara's mind began to drift off. Her mind got stuck on the thoughts of Shaun and his family's death. It was her fault that it happened. If she hadn't shot Maria's brother, they'd still be alive.

She blamed herself for that everyday. Although Clara looked at ease in Aiden eyes, she too was struggling from guilt.

After a whole minute, he noticed that Clara was picking at her food.

" _What i_ _s she thinking about?_ " He thought to himself.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

Clara quickly snaps out of her thoughts and makes eye contact with him.

"I'm fine," she lies, "Sorry, I'm just a little distracted. That's all."

Aiden arches an eyebrow and gives her a quizzical look. "By what?"

Clara tried to think of something to say. That was until something caught Aiden's attention. He spots a figure moving past the window that was only a few feet behind Clara. Aiden abruptly gets up and rushes towards Clara.

Before Clara could ask him what he was doing, he tackles her to the ground before the sound of gunshots and glass shattering rang in her ears. Aiden hovered over her, using his body as a shield to prevent Clara and himself from getting hit by bullets.

Once the noise came to a halt, she could hear someone banging on the door.

"Fuck," Aiden mutters beneath his breath before pushing himself off of Clara. He helps her up.

"Follow me," he practically shouts before leading her towards his bedroom.

Once Clara got inside, he quickly shuts the door and locks it.

"Fixers?" Clara asks him knowing all too well what was going on. She's had her fair share with fixers.

Aiden nods before pulling out a pistol from his coat. He hands the gun to Clara before pulling out his own.

"Do you know how to use that?" He nods towards the gun.

"Of course I do," she says while cocking it.

She glances around his bedroom for an escape and spots a window.

"Can you get that window open?" She points towards the window, "I'll cover you if they get in."

Aiden glances towards it and says, "Yeah, I can get it open. Block the door," he commands before making his way towards the window.

Aiden looks out the window to make sure there were no fixers before pulling the window up. Clara pushed a small drawer in front of the door when she heard them trying to break into the bedroom.

"It's open, come on!"

Aiden takes Clara's hand before leading her out of the window. Clara could hear the door burst open as soon as her bare feet hit the cold grass outside. Aiden was the next one to get out while firing bullets at the fixers behind him. He managed to kill two of them before urging Clara to make a run towards a parked van.

They made a full sprint towards the vehicle as more bullets headed towards them. They reached the van and ducked behind it. Clara was the first to pull out her pistol before firing a couple rounds, killing two fixers.

"Grenade!" Clara shouts, seeing one of them reaching for a grenade.

They both got out of the way just in time before the grenade made contact with the van. The grenade explodes along with the van. Grateful that they got out of the way, they duck behind a nearby apartment building to take cover.

"Clara, stay behind me," he tells her.

Clara obeyed and got behind him. Aiden started shooting at the fixers while Clara remained directly behind him. Clara felt like a sitting duck in this situation knowing that she had a gun in her hand. She wanted to help. Afterall, she became used to this kind of violence.

"I want to help."

Aiden turned his head towards her. He looked as if he had just run a marathon. Clara saw something in his eyes. It was fear. Was he afraid of losing her again? Aiden was hesitant for a moment before moving, giving her enough space to shoot at the fixers.

Clara peeked her head out, she could see five more hitmen, two hidden behind their cars while the other three were out in the open. Clara fired at the three fixers without cover and she manages to kill two and injure one.

Aiden watched as she went toe-to-toe with the hitmen and he was surprised that she took them out at ease. It was almost as if she has done this millions of times. Even though they were close friends, there was a lot Aiden didn't know about Clara.

Clara turns her head towards Aiden before telling him, "Let's go."

Aiden follows her towards a rusty looking car parked beside the building they were hiding behind. Clara got into the driver's side while Aiden got into the passenger side before she started up the car with her phone.

Once she began driving, she made it to the main road only to be greeted by two fixer cars behind her and Aiden. Aiden didn't need to be reminded about what he was supposed to do. He pulled out his phone out and waited until they passed the steam pipe. Once Clara drove past it, he hacks into the steam pipe and it explodes causing the fixer cars to be forced off the road.

Once they were out of sight, Aiden looked around to make sure that was the last of them before they both reclined back in their seats sighing in relief.

"We're clear," Aiden says after Clara had slowed down. "You okay?"

Clara nods and turns to him, smiling reassuringly.

"I'm sorry that you have to go through this mess," Aiden apologized, sounding guilty.

"Hey, it's alright," Clara reassures him. "It's nothing I can't handle."

Aiden smirked. "I saw the way you took them on. Nice job," he praises her.

Clara grins to herself. Her grin falters once she feels her stomach growl in hunger. She didn't even manage to eat half her breakfast this morning.

"Still hungry?" He chuckles beneath his lips after hearing her stomach growl.

Clara smiles sheepishly before replying, "Yes."

"We could stop at that fast food restaurant," he points towards a nearby Quinkie's as if the fixer raid never happened.

Clara only nods her head befire parking beside the restaurant.

"What if more fixers find us?"

"They won't which is why you're staying in here."

Before Clara could protest, Aiden was already out of the car.

"Damn, he's stubborn," she thought.

Clara watched him enter the restaurant. There were only two people inside. No one batted an eye at him. What would she do now? She pulls out her journal and flips through the pages, wondering if she should write her next entry.

She didn't know how long she could keep writing in her journal behind Aiden's back. Glancing at tge restaurant once more, she spots Aiden talking to the cashier. She gazes down at her journal before pulling out her pencil and she began writing.

* * *

 _Journal #16_

 _One moment, I was sitting down eating breakfast with Aiden and them BAM I find myself caught up in a fixer raid. Aiden feels bad for dragging me into it but it wasn't his fault. I've had my own run-ins with fixers in the past._

 _This gave me memories about Peggy and Teresse. I remember they were abducted by Maria's men, who were also fixers. Not only were Peggy and Shaun's deaths shocking, but Teresse's death really had me shook. She was only 6 years old and her life was cut short just like that._

 _It's funny how series of events, no matter how small they are, can lead to something just as tragic as a child's death. What would have happened if I hadn't robbes that jewelry store just to get a simple bracelet? What if I hadn't killed Maria's brother?_

 _Maybe everything would be different. I would still be in the Black Dragon, Shaun and his family would still be alive and I wouldn't have reunited with Aiden so soon. Life is funny that way, but it is what it is. Nothing can change their deaths._

 _When I'm with Aiden, even if I'm having a simple conversation with him, it helps me forget sometimes. It feels nice without the weight on my shoulders, but it always comes back to haunt me when I'm alone._

 _Now that I've had a run-in with fixers, those memories keep coming back. I highly doubt we're going back to Aiden's apartment. Those fixers completely destroyed it. I'm not sure what we're going to do now, but you won't believe where we are. Quinkie's. That's only because I'm still hungry._

 _Of course, we stole another car just to escape. Aiden is in the restaurant and I'm still waiting on him to return. Hold on, I think I hear something._


	18. Chapter 18: My Love is Winter

Clara glances up from her journal and noticed that Aiden wasn't inside Quinkie's anymore. She could hear loud chatter coming from behind the restaurant. Putting her journal back in her pocket, she was about to step out of the car until she realized she was completely barefoot.

She searches the car for something to wear on her feet. She finds a pair of brown low boots in the back seat. They looked like they were brand new. She slips them on before stepping out of the car. She looks around in search of Aiden.

She could the voices a bit clearer now and it sounded like they were swearing or throwing insults at someone. The snowfall began to quicken as she makes her way towards the back of the restaurant. She stopped dead in her tracks, horrified by what she saw.

There were four young looking boys surrounding Aiden, who was being held by a bigger, muscular man. Each one of them was taking turns punching and kicking Aiden where ever they pleased while one of the boys filmed the whole thing with his phone camera.

"Nice costume," one of them said sarcastically.

"You think you're the vigilante or somethin?" Another boy mocks him before throwing another punch into his gut. Aiden winced at the impact.

The blows he was receiving wasn't good for his already fractured ribs from previous fights he had gotten into in the past.

Clara watched from a distance and she couldn't bare to see him get hurt any longer. She started pacing towards them and by the looks of their punches and kicks, these kids didn't even look like they knew how to fight. They were just a bunch of punks looking for trouble.

Once she got close enough, one of them had already thrown another punch towards Aiden's jaw. There was blood already trickling down his mouth from the blow. This only frustrated Clara even more as she crept behind one of the boys and slams her fist into his temple. He passed out instantly and collapsed onto the pavement.

They all quickly turned their heads towards the noise and they spot Clara glaring at them with her fists clenched.

"Get away from him," she warns, glancing at Aiden still being held by the bigger man before turning her attention back to the four punks in front of her.

"What the hell?" One of them blurted out while throwing his hands up in the air. However, his protest came to a halt once he caught sight of Clara. He looked her up and down as if she were eye candy.

"Is this your girlfriend?" He chuckles while making eye contact with Aiden.

Aiden knew who he meant as he managed to open his eyes and see Clara. He feared she would be hurt next.

"You're lucky that you're pretty, otherwise I would have beaten the shit out of you for knocking out my friend."

If Clara hadn't been trained to take on this many people, she would have felt intimidated, scared even. But she wasn't scared, not one bit. Struggling to stay awake, Aiden flickered his eyes over to Clara and worry immediately consumed him when the boy began walking towards her. Just by the way those men were looking at her made him even more stressed out than he already was.

"Clara...no," he chokes out before being interrupted by a swift kick in his calf by the man that was behind him.

Clara gasps after seeing Aiden getting hurt again before turning her attention back to the boy that was approaching.

"How about we show you what we do to bitches like you."

Right after finishing his sentence, he attempts to swing at her. Clara quickly grabs a hold of his wrist and twists his arm before striking him in the nose with her other fist. Blood began to trickle down his nose and he looked as if he would pass out any second. Clara presses her foot against his stomach and kicks him to the ground.

She glares at the other two boys who had just witnessed what she did. The larger man didn't leave his spot while the third boy still had his phone out and recording. Clara turns her attention towards the two boys pacing towards her. The boy on the right held a baseball bat while the other was bare fisted.

The boy with the baseball bat charged at her and tries to swing at her face. Clara was quick to react by grabbing the bat with one habd and raising her knee towards his gut. He loosens his grip on the bat and she pulls it out of his hand before striking him across the head, knocking him down.

She could hear the other boy from behind running towards her. She quickly turns around and swings the bat at his face, instantly making him fall backwards. Suddenly, she heard heavy footsteps sprinting towards her. She turns around and she could see that the man had let go of Aiden and tossed him into the snow.

Aiden was trying his best to stay awake. If he had the strength, he would get up and help her, but his injured ribs prevented him from standing. Clara was about to swing the bat at the man, but he knocks it out of her hand and presses one large hand around her throat, squeezing it tightly.

Clara struggles to breathe as he pushes her against the brick wall. Clara desperately tried to pull his hands away from her neck, but he had a firm grip on her. After a few seconds of struggling, she began to feel dizzy. She felt like she would pass out at any moment.

She moved her legs around in an attempt to kick him. She got lucky when her foot slammed into his groin. He lets go of her while stumbling backwards and holding onto his private area. Clara caught her breath and wasted no time as she picked up the baseball and swung at the back of his head. He tumbled onto the ground only to be met with another blow to the face.

Clara repeatidly hit him again and again until he was completely imoblie. She would have lost complete control of herself is she hadn't heard the shaky breathing coming from the young boy struggling to hold his phone up right. She stops and aims the bat towards him.

"Drop the phone," she says sternly.

If he were to run away with the footage on his phone, Aiden and Clara would be exposed. The boy obeys and drops his phone into the snow. Clara kept her glare on the boy until he turned around and started running away. He nearly tripped while he ran, but he didn't stop. Clara watched him until he was out of sight.

She paced towards his cell phone before smashing it with a single swing. His phone was left with a crack on it's screen. Clara looks around at the bodies, satisfied with her work before glancing towards Aiden who was gazing up at her, shock and surprise written on his face.

Clara rushed over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked concerned. She kneels down to his eye level.

"I've never been better." He gazes up at her giving her a smirk. "How did you do that?" He asked as she reached her hand out to brush some snow out of his hair.

"It wasn't that hard," she laughs a little, "Trust me, they did not know how to fight."

Aiden chuckles knowing that she was right. Regardless of nearly getting his ribs fractured again, he's seen tougher men. Clara extends a hand out to Aiden, offering to help him up. Aiden complied and took her hand. Clara pulls him up as gentle as she could. Aiden winced at the sharp pain from his ribs. Clara frowns at his condition almost feeling bad for not showing up sooner.

She spots his cap sticking out of the snow and reaches down to pick it up. She brushes the snow off with her fingers before placing it over his messy dark brown hair. She rests her right hand on his cheek which made Aiden smile warmly. He stared at her, an unrecognizable emotion displayed in his eyes. Clara found herself getting lost in his gaze as well. It only lasted for a moment until Clara cleared her thriat and spoke up.

"Um...let's get out of here."

"Yeah," he nods.

Clara takes his arm and wraps it around her neck, helping him walk. Aiden clutched onto his ribs while gritting his teeth in pain. He had broken ribs before, but he worked his way through it. Those kids only brought the pain back, but it would subside eventually.

Clara spotted the bag of food sitting on the ground and she slowly reacges down and grabs it. Her food had to be cold by now, but she'd still eat it. Clara leads Aiden away from the restaurant and towards the car. She takes Aiden over to the passenger side and gently places him inside the car. Regardless of Aiden reassuring her that he was fine, Clara wasn't having any of it.

Making sure that he was seated properly, she gets in the driver's side and starts up the car. She glances over to Aiden and she noticed some blood was still on the crook of his mouth. She opens the glove compartment and searches for something to wipe it off and finds a set of napkins. She grabs one and reaches towards the blood. Aiden was confused at first but realized what she was doing.

Clara presses the napkin softly against the corner of his lips and gently dabs the blood. Aiden didn't protest and simply watched her, a look of pride in his eyes for taking on those idiots. Once she was done, she noticed that Aiden was staring at her intently.

"What?" She grins sheepishly. "There was some blood on the corner of your mouth."

Aiden smiles, showing a little bit of his teeth before shaking his head and facing the road. Clara rolled her eyes while turning towards the road as well. She began driving, checking on Aiden occasionally. She catches him smirking at her.

"What is it now?" Clara turns her head towards him.

His smirk turns into a grin. "How did you learn how to fight like that?"

Clara looks away from him while trying to hide her smirk.

"I might have taken some fighting classes while I was out," she explains, "I wanted to learn how to defend myself.

The main reason was to be able to take down guards while stealing jewelry. According to her father, it was a strategy to keep people out of her way, but a part of her wanted to take those classes because she actually wanted to learn how to fight. If she hadn't taken those classes, she and Aiden would have been beaten down.

"Well you sure as hell did a good job. You beat the shit out of them."

Clara smiles proudly to herself. "They deserved it."

After sharing a good laugh, Clara had almost forgot where they were supposed to go now.

"So where should we go?"

Aiden lets out a sigh. "I guess we could look for another place to stay, but I can't keep running from them foeever. Eventually, I'll have to leave Chicago at some point. I really hate to drag you into this shit. You might as well leave while you can."

Clara tilts her head to one side while gazing at him.

"Are you suggesting that I should leave you?"

He nods, looking at her with a saddened expression knowing that his lifestyle was too dangerous for her. He'd have to do this alone again. She shakes her head with creased eyebrows, bemused my his suggestion. She wasn't going to leave him to fend for himself.

"Aiden, I'm not going anywhere. I've gone through stuff like this with you before and I'll go through it again."

"But I don't want you to get hurt-"

"I won't. Don't worry about me. I know that I got shot and you had to believe that I was dead, but there's no way I'm going to leave you in the dark to get hurt. You want to keep me safe and I understand that, but as weird as this sounds, I want to keep you safe too."

Aiden lets out a low chuckle.

"You don't have to protect me. I can handle myself."

"Oh, so you're saying that I didn't have to protect you from those kids that were beating you up? Because I could have left you there, but since I'm so nice to you-"

"Okay, okay. Maybe I do need some help, but you don't need to stay just because you feel like you have to."

"Aiden, I'm helping because I want to. You're in a tricky situation right now and I want to help you get through it."

A smile forms across Aiden's face. He felt something come over him. He couldn't describe it. It was a weird yet funny feeling, but it only lasted for a few seconds before he returned back to his usual state. Aiden didn't want to argue anymore. Instead, he turns his head back to the road, grateful for her help.

Clara spots a hotel after a few minutes of eating while driving.

"We could stay there," she points towards the hotel. Aiden nods before she pulled in the parking lot. She puts the car before catching Aiden getting out of the car on his own. Clara offered to help but he only said, "I'm fine."

Clara rolls her eyes before stepping out of the car. They walk inside the hotel. It look decent, not too dirty or too clean. They approach the woman at the counter and Clara tells her that they could only afford one room. She nods and Clara was about to hand her some cash until Aiden pulled out a few twenties and placed them on the counter.

Before Clara could protest, the woman gladly took the cash and went to go fetch their room card.

"I could have paid."

Aiden's brows creased.

"Clara, I put you through hell today and you saved me from getting my ass kicked. I owe it to you."

Clara opened her mouth to say something but the woman had already come back with their cards and hands them over. Clata takes both of them and thanks her before heading towards their room. Once they reached the elevator, Aiden's arm quickly returned back to his ribs. Clara looks at him concerned.

"Are you sure you don't need to receive any medical attention?" She says after pushing the button for the floor they were going to. The doors closed before Aiden spoke.

"I'll be okay. Relax. You worry like my sister does."

He didn't know what caused hik to say that. He hasn't seen his sister and nephew in two years.

Clara was a little surprised that Aiden would compare her to his sibling.

"Well maybe you're sister has the right to worry about you because of your lifestyle and I have the right to worry because you almost got your ass kicked today."

Aiden couldn't hold back anymore as he let out a whole hearted laugh, amused by what she said. Aiden almost felt carefree until the sharp pain coming from his ribs hit him again. He winced, his smile faltering as he clutched his ribs. Clara frowns and places her hand on Aiden's shoulder. He turns to her and gives her a reassuring smile.

The elevator came to a halt, reaching the 6th floor. They exit the elevator before heading towards their room. Luckily, the hallway was empty so Aiden wouldn't have to cover up his pain.

Clara pulls out her card after stopping at their room and unlocks the door before stepping inside. Clara immediately goes to the restroom considering that she hadn't gone this morning.

Aiden settled on the couch and he made himself comfortable. He looked around the room lost in thought. Where would they go from here? Aiden had thoight about leaving Chicago for a while now. He could use a break from the fixers, but would Clara come with him?

He dragged her into a disaster again and it seemed like she had no intention of leaving his side. He'd have to put up with her for now; although, he didn't mind her company. It was good to have someone around for once.

He finds the TV remote sitting on the table in front of him and he switches on the TV. A hockey game was on. Watching both teams compete against each other and the crowd cheering them on made him feel nostalgic. He remembered watching hockey with his friends. Him and his friends would always be obnoxious while cheering for their team.

Aiden chuckles beneath his lips remembering his mother barging into the living room and telling them to quiet down or he'd be grounded from letting his friends come over again. And then he remembered Nicky always wanting to watch the game with them. Of course, Aiden wouldn't let her join because he didn't think it was cool for his sister to be around his friends.

He regretted doing that and he wished he could see her again or at least find out how she's doing. But he couldn't do that. He just couldn't. He'd put her and Jacks in danger again.

Clara came out of the bathroom and sees Aiden sitting on the couch.

"You watch hockey?" She asks while making her way towards the couch.

"I used to when I was younger, but I grew out of it," he says while gazing off into the distance.

Clara sits beside him and stares at the television screen. "What got you into it?"

"Well I wasn't die hard about it. I liked it because my friends did."

"So you just went along with what they did, huh?"

"Yeah, but they, neither did my family, know what I did outside of school so they didn't always have an influence on me."

Clara cocks an eyebrow. "What did you do outside of school?"

Aiden turns his gaze towards her.

"I grew up in a rough neighborhood, so I ran along with an ugly crowd," he says with an unknown look in his eyes that Clara couldn't place. Perhaps it was regret.

"You mean like a gang?"

Aiden sighs. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I only did it for my family. There were only two options where I grew up: you stood up or you got beat down. So I learned how to fight and use guns."

He went on to tell her about how his father was never around because his mother had driven him and his sister away from him back in Belfast. He went on to tell her that he became just like his father. He would commit crimes just for his family.

Clara found some similarities between them. She would also commit crimes for her family too while she was in the Black Dragon. They had more in common than she thought. Aiden spent an hour or two talking about memories with his Nicky, Jacks, and Lena. He mostly talked about good memories and hearing them made Clara feel bad about her involvement in Lena's death. Aiden took notice and quickly changed the subject.

"I remember you told me a couple years ago that your dad used to steal from other people's cabins when you went camping."

"Yeah," she thinks back, "He'd always do that everytime we went camping. I think that was the only reason why he ever did take me camping. Since I was a child at the time, he'd always tell me we were looking for treasure."

Clara smiles.

"I later found out that he was doing it because we needed money. We were poor at that time and even though my mother didn't approve of the idea, he still did it and I know now that he was doing it for us."

She missed the old days with her father. She used to think of him as a gentle, kind man, but now she didn't know what to think of him. Was he actually her father or was he just some killer who only cared about business? She didn't know. Clara took note of her short silence before clearing her throat.

"That was when police started to find out that he was stealing from other people and my mother and I had to leave Quebec, my home country. My father didn't come with us because he was working in some business and he had to keep up with it so he left his own family behind because of work," she says with furrowed eyebrows.

She still held a grudge against him for dragging her into that business. Still, she didn't think she could stay mad at him forever. He was the only family she had left. Clara regains her composure and spoke again.

"After we made it to America, we moved here and from there I went to school and lived a normal life, only without a father to bury all the boys in the backyard," she rolls her eyes and smiles before continuing. "But when I was 19, my whole world changed."

Clara's smile began to falter and Aiden could see sadness in her eyes.

"My mother got breast cancer and I made sure to visit her everyday. One day, however, I visited her and she looked completely wore out. She had...no hair left on her head. She was dying."

Clara could feel tears begging to push through but she held them back. She didn't want to cry in front of Aiden. That would be awkward. Clara took a deep breath before continuing.

"She told me that she loved me no matter what I was and she died right in front of me. She died all because cancer is a bitch." She grumbled angrily, her voice beginning to crack.

Her lips form into a frown and her brows crease in frustration as she looks away from him while holding in her tears. She sat in silence while trying to calm herself down but failed. A few seconds later, she suddenly felt a warm hand being placed on her shoulder. She turns her head towards Aiden. He had a look of sympathy as he gently massaged her shoulder.

Clara was a bit surprised by his action, but she she gives him a small smile. Aiden removed his hand upon seeing Clara's expression soften.

"Listen to me telling you all of these sob stories. You're probably getting tired of hearing me talk, aren't you?"

Aiden instantly shook his head.

"No," he says with creased eyebrows, "I like hearing you talk."

She was taken aback by his compliment and she gave him a skeptical look.

"Really?"

"Mm hm," he nods.

He liked the sound of her voice mostly because of her accent. He found it intriguing in a way. Clara felt her cheeks go warm from his compliment. Wait, why was she blushing? Usually when someone gave her a compliment, she would just brush it off and either say thank you or ignire them. But not Aiden. He made her feel different and it was almost if everytime Aiden gave her a compliment or just simply smirked at her, her heart would skip a beat.

"Well thank you for listening," she smiles genuinely. She was thankful that she could talk about her past knowing that Aiden was listening to her. "It's not everyday that I share my past with someone."

Clara turned her whole body around so she was now facing him.

"I liked hearing you talk about your past too. It's interesting." She says, "I can tell you really care about your family."

He grins.

"I guess you can say I'm overprotective."

Clara chuckles beneath her lips. Her eyes meet his green ones and she stares at him almost in admiration. Regardless of some of the ugly things he's done, he was a good man wanting to do what was right. That was a quality that she liked in him.

They sat in silence, both of them getting lost in each other's eyes. Clara found herself getting closer to him and before she could stop herself, her lips were already on his. Aiden's eyes widened. He was taken aback by her bold action, but he found himself giving in as he too closed his eyes and kissed her back.

Clara sighed as her hands explored his chest before she reached up to his face. She could feel his rough stubble as she ran her thumbs across his cheeks. Aiden tilted his head and leaned in more to deepen the kiss. Clara moans beneath her lips as the kiss got more passionate. His hands wrap around her waist, pulling her closer.

Suddenly, it hit her. She realized what she was doing and quickly pulls away while panting for air. What was she thinking? Why did she have to just jump up and kiss him like that? She thought she was a complete idiot for doing that.

"Um..," she rubs the back of her neck trying to hide her embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I don't know why I did that."

She glances back up at Aiden but surprisingly he was just sitting there staring at her with an amused grin on his face.

"It's okay," he says softly, tracing circles on her waist with his thumbs.

Clara found his tone of voice soothing so she managed to calm herself down. Aiden still held her close trying decide if he should let her go or not. Just by looking at him, she wanted to kiss him again, but she held herself back.

They both sat in silence not really knowing what to say to each other. There was a look in her eyes practically begging him to kiss her again. Aiden moves his hand up to her cheek and gently caresses her face.

He moves closer and closer to her until he was just inches away from her face. He was practically touching her lips when he whispered, "Do you want more?"

Clara could feel her heart beat quicken because of how close he was to her. The sound of his voice was so rough, yet seductive that she couldn't help but say, "Yes."

And just like that, his lips were on hers. Clara instinctively wraps her arms around his neck as she adjusted herself onto his lap. She glides her tongue along his bottom lip asking for entrance. He opens his mouth a bit more so she had better access to his mouth.

Clara began to explore his mouth with her tongue, wanting to taste him. All of him. Clara reached her hand upward to feel his hair but his cap was in the way. She was in the midst of getting it off when she broke the kiss.

"May I?"

Aiden lightly chuckles and nods. She removes it and tosses it aside before crashing her lips onto his once more. Soon the kiss became more passionate and Clara was losing control of herself as she felt a strange sensation between her legs. As she began to remove Aiden's jacket, he knew where the kiss was headed and he stopped.

"Clara, are you sure this is what you want?" He wanted to make sure she was willing to go through with it.

"Absolutely." she says without hesitation. "Besides," she trails her index finger along his lips, "You owe me for today."

Aiden smirks. He liked this seductive side of her. Satisfied with her answer, Aiden picks her up, the pain in his ribs forgotten, and he carries her towards the bedroom. Clara had her legs wrapped around his waist. She was preoccuping herself by planting soft kisses along his neck and jawline.

He groans as he sets her down onto the bed and climbs on top of her. He crashes his lips onto hers and began to kiss her passionately. Her tongue darts into his mouth and his tongue makes contact with hers. Clara moans softly as their tongues began to dance. Just by hearing her moan, Aiden became more and more aroused as his lips reach her neck.

He began to press soft kisses along her neck. He bites down on the piece of skin where her pulse was, making Clara gasp in surprise.

"Aiden.." she mutters softly.

Her nails lightly dig into his hair as he sucks on the skin before planting a soft kiss on it, leaving a dark red mark on her neck before going back up to her lips. Clara's moves her hands towards the bottom of his sweater, feeling his soft skin before lifting his sweater up. Aiden straddles her while lifting up his sweater over his head before tossing it aside.

Clara took the time to admire his toned upper body. He wasn't too muscular, he had more of a slim figure, but she still admired the view. Aiden catches her staring and he smirks.

"Enjoying the view?"

Clara bites her lower lip and smirks. "Maybe."

Aiden leaned foward and began to kiss her again. Clara reached down to pull up her shirt and she breaks the kiss to take it all the way off. She tosses it and she was only left in her lacy black bra. Aiden stops in his tracks while admiring her cleavage and her slender figure.

"Damn, she's beautiful," he thought.

"Enjoying the view?" She teases him.

"I am," he slightly licks his lips before returning to her lips. This time the kiss was more rough.

They began to take the rest of their clothes off and they had the moment of their life. When night came, Aiden and Clara were cuddling nude under the bedsheets. Clara rested her head on his bare chest, running her fingers along his skin while Aiden had his arm draped around her back. Clara gazed up at Aiden who was already staring back down at her with complete adoration in his eyes.

"So..."

"Yeah," he replies.

They both share a laugh before Clara raised the question.

"What are we now?" I mean I know we're definitely not friends anymore."

Aiden thought about it before replying, "We could be more than that if you want to."

Clara's face immediately lit up and she smiled.

"I'd like that," she says before resting her head back onto his chest.

Before they knew it, they both fell into a deep sleep.


	19. Chapter 19: Discovery

Clara wakes up with her head curled on Aiden's bare chest. She smiles, thinking about last night. Aiden was gentle yet rough at the same time. It was amazing. Aiden was much different than the guys she had been with in the past. In fact, he was better.

Way better.

The way he made her feel was unexplainable. He was definitely more experienced than she thought he would be. Aiden made her forget about all of her stresses she was dealing with. He gave her a night to remember.

Her smile grew even wider as she gazes up at Aiden, who was still sleeping peacefully. Clara had never seen him so at ease. Clara could hear him quietly snoring, but she didn't mind. She laid there for a few minutes savoring the moment with him while she listened to his heartbeat.

Clara remembered the compliments Aiden had given her last night. The way he looked at her made her heart melt. It was like he was admiring every little thing about her and it made Clara feel special.

Maybe she should do something special for him. She could make him breakfast just like he did for her, but she'd have to go to the store which means she was out in the open. However, the store was right across the street. She could pick up something real quick and head back.

Not wanting to wake the sleeping fox, she sneaks out of his hold and gently climbs out of bed. She finds her clothes scattered across the floor and throws them on before heading to the bathroom connected to the bedroom. She finds herself looking in the mirror and she spots a hickey on her neck. Clara grins while running her fingers along his love bite.

She triee to cover it with her shirt but fails to do so. "Fuck it," Clara thought to herself.

After using the bathroom, Clara slips on a pair of boots and packs a gun with her just in case before heading out. She made it to the store and picked out a carton of eggs, sausage, bread, and milk. She wanted to get as little as possible because she didn't want to spend too much time in the grocery store.

After paying for everything, she leaves the store while carrying both bags in her hands. As she was walking, she could sense someone was watching her. Was she being paranoid? Clara felt her gun in her pocket and she knew what to do if she was attacked.

She reaches the hotel and was about to go inside until her vision was suddenly blocked by what seemee to be a black _bag_ being wrapped around her head. Clara instantly drops the bags and attempts to shoot the person, but misses.

The abductor snatches the gun out of her hand and she tried headbutting the kidnapper, but they were too far back.

"Get her in the car!" She hears a man's voice shout.

An arm wrapped around her stomach as she was now being dragged backwards. She was then picked up and tossed inside a trunk. Her head banged into the hard surface and she fell into darkness.

* * *

Aiden woke up and rapidly blinked a few times before fully opening his eyes. Recalling the events from last night, he noticed that Clara was no longer in bed with him. He sat up, giving his arms a good stretch before getting himself out of bed.

He saw his clothes scattered across the floor; however, he didn't see Clara's. He was guessing she was in the living room or the kitchen. He slips on a pair of jeans and his white sweater before heading out to the living room.

Aiden searches for Clara, but she was no where to be seen. He returns to the bedroom and looks around before something catches his eye. There was a small notepad on the floor with a purple lead pencil sticking oit of it.

Aiden raises an eyebrow as he goes over to pick it up the notepad. He opens it and takes out the pencil before reading.

 _"Journal #1: My name is Clara Lille and I should start this off by saying that I'm still recovering from two gunshots wounds from six months ago."_

He never knew Clara wrote journals. His curiosity got the better of him and he began to read her journal entries. He grew more and more concerned as he flipped the pages. Clara had gotten herself involved into some kind of business called the Black Dragon and her father convinced her to get into it.

As he read even deeper, he discovered even more shocking things. She had gotten arrested but managee to escape prison. Then she had witnessed a little girl dying right in front of her and the father of that girl had shot himself.

After that, she had told her father she was quitting the Black Dragon and that's how she ended up here with him. The rest of the journals went on to talk about how she would be able to tell Aiden all of this.

Well she didn't have to worry about that anymore.

He should have been pissed at her just because she had been hiding things from him again, but he could almost understand why she didn't tell him about it. Just by the way Clara had written her words in the journal made it seem like it was hard for her to talk about. She planned on telling him later on.

He needed to have a talk with her, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. He dialed her number on his cell and waited impatiently for her to answer. After about four rings, he finally got an answer, but it wasn't Clara's voice.

"Aiden Pearce," a man's voice answered, "It's about time we grabbed a hold of you. We have your girlfriend, but don't worry. We're taking very good care of her."

Worry quickly overwhelmed Aiden. Were they fixers?

"All you have to do is follow our instructions we'll have for you later on. We'll be in touch."

Before Aiden could reply, the call ended. Aiden clenched his fist while tightening his grip on his phone. What did they do with her? Aiden feared they might kill her. Did this have something to do with what she was involved in or were they just fixers?

He needed to know where she was and he wasn't going to sit around and wait for the next call. He tries to trace where Clara was, but they kept bouncing their signal around different locations.

Aiden grew frustrated. He would need to find someone with better skills than his in order to find Clara. Suddenly an idea popped in his head. He found his number and instantly called him.

"Aiden?" His surly sounded voice answered.

"T-bone, I need your help."


	20. Chapter 20: An Old Friend

Clara's vision was a blur as she began to regain consciousness. Once everything became clear, she took in her surroundings. She was in some kind of basement that had cracks on its concrete floors. It looked old and abandoned.

She tried to get up, but her hands and feet were tied with what felt like rope. Her head was aching from the impact of hitting her head. The room was empty and quiet. Clara felt sick and had the urge to vomit, but she held it in.

There was a single door ahead of her and she began to hear voices behind it. The door opens and four shady looking men walked in.

"Sleeping beauty is finally awake," one of them chuckles.

Another one, who looked the oldest, rolled his eyes before speaking, "Alright, sweetie, we're going to get right to the point. Your asshole of a boyfriend has caused trouble for us in the past. I'm sure you know who we're talking about."

Of course, they were fixers. She knew by the way they spoke. It was down to business.

"What do you want?" She spoke up.

"It's simple, we want him dead and we're using you as bait. You'll be here a while."

And with that, they left her alone in the basement. She couldn't believe she was being used for bait. She tries getting her hands out of the rope, but it was no use. Clara feared they would actually kill Aiden if he fell for their trap. She needed to get out of there and warn him about what was to come, but there was nothing she could do.

She could only hope that Aiden was smart enough to avoid getting caught in a trap.

* * *

Aiden pulled up at a bar in Pawnee to meet T-bone. As soon as Ray caught sight of his grey hat hacker friend, he instantly walked up to him.

"Amigo!" He greets him once he's out of his car, "It's been a while, man."

"Yeah it has. Listen, I need your help."

"What's the problem?" He arches an eyebrow.

Aiden sighs, "Do you remember Clara?"

He was silent for a moment before replying, "Yeah, I do."

"She's alive."

"What?" Ray was confused.

Aiden began to tell him about how he reunited with Clara, how they had gotten together. He proceeds to tell him about her kkdnapping. T-bone couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Shit, Aiden. Do you have any clue where she is?"

Aiden shook his head. "That's why I need your help."

He pulls out his phone and shows T-bone the signal being directed from one place to the other.

"You think you can fix the signal?"

He nods. "Nothin' I can't handle."

He took the phone from him and just when he was about to begin tracing Clara, a call from "unknown" pops up. Within a second, T-bone figured out it was the abductors calling Aiden. T-bone glances up at Aiden, asking for permission to answer the call. Aiden nods and T-bone pushed the green icon.

"Aiden Pearce," it was the same man as before, "We want you to meet us at Brandon Docks. We'll be waiting for you at the entrance. If you want your girlfriend to stay alive, we advice you show up, otherwise things aren't gonna be pretty. Am I understood?"

Aiden's lips pressed into a hard line before replying, "Yeah, just don't hurt her."

The man laughs, causing Aiden to clench his jaw.

"It all depends on how things go. So be there, or your girlfriend's going to be taking a trip to the hospital."

He laughs once again before hanging up. T-bone knew exactly what they meant when they said they would take her to the "hospital." Fixers would take their victims to their own little hospital and have them sedated in order to keep police from finding out.

"I gotta go," Aiden said worridly.

Aiden retrieves his phone before making his way towards his car.

"Aiden, wait. It could be a God damn trap for all you know. Let me come with you."

Aiden only nods and gets into his car, T-bone doing the same. He didn't protest because he felt like he was too much in a hurry to argue. They both got in the car before making their way to Brandon Docks.


	21. Chapter 21: Ambush

A few hours after those men left Clara, she remained in the basement, occasionally trying to break free from the rope but failing to do so. She heard the door open and looked up to see one of the fixers holding a plate of food.

"I brought you some food," he says while setting the plate down in front of her. The plate held a plain turkey sandwich and beside it was a bottled water. The man went behind her and pulled out a switch blade. He held it towards her back.

"I'm gonna untie you. If you try any of your moves on me, I'll stab you. Do you understand?"

Clara was hesitant, but she nodded in response. He cut the rope that held her arms together before doing the same with her feet. Clara didn't bother to fight him. She felt too drained and wore out. Once she was free, the man got up and left the room. She was left alone again.

Clara sat up and gazed down at the food. She didn't want anything they had, but she was starving. She lifted up the bread and made sure there wasn't anything weird in it before picking it up and hesitantly taking a bite.

Not wasting another second, she took another bite ans within a minute, she had wolfed it down. She drank about half the bottled water before setting it down and taking a deep breath.

Even though only a few hours went by, it felt like forever to Clara. She feared Aiden had already fallen into a trap. What if he was dead? She shook that thought out of her head. She couldn't bear the thought of him being dead. She knew her handa and legs were free, but she didn't know how she would escape. The door was locked and there were no windows anywhere.

For now, she was stuck here.

* * *

Aiden and T-bone made it to Brandon Docks, but they didn't see anyone at the entrance. They immediately knew something was wrong, but before they could process what was happening, Aiden's car was showered by bullets. They both duck down in time before the car's windows were destroyed.

Aiden popped his head up once the bullets came to a halt. He could see fixers hiding behind cars, reloading their guns. Aiden sped away as fast as he could, but of course the fixers got in their cars and sped after them.

"I knew it was a trap!" T-bone growls before pulling out his rifle. "I'll cover you!"

As the fixers inched closer, T-bone took the opportunity to fire at the fixers. He took out two cars and he saw more coming.

"Damn it, they just keep coming!"

T-bone managed to take down the cars by either shooting at them or blowing up a steampipes. The threat was gone. T-bone slouched back in his seat while wiping a piece of sweat off his forehead.

"Thanks for your help," he says sarcastically.

"I was driving," Aiden stated.

Once they both caught their breaths, reality hit Aiden.

"They fucking tricked us," he grumbled angrily, "No damn surprise."

His cell phone began to ring and he knew all too well who it was. He pulls out his phone and yelled into the phone, "Where is Clara?!" He was about to lose it.

"Did you really think we're going to let you get away woth the shit you just pulled?" The man's tone was serious. "You've got another thing coming."

"Put Clara on the phone," he warned through gritted teeth.

The man paused for a moment, "You really want to talk to her?" He says almost menacingly, "Fine."

Aiden and T-bone could hear a door opening. Aiden had already pulled over on the side of the road to hear better.

"Hey, sweetheart. Your boyfriend wants to talk to you."

"Aiden?" He could hear Clara's voice from a distance.

"Clara?" His voice was filled with worry.

Ray found himsef worried too. He recognized her accent

"Now, now," the man interrupted, "After what you did, what do you think it's going to cost your precious girlfriend here?"

Aiden grew nervous, "You stay away from her."

"Oh you have no right to tell us what to do right now."

Suddenly, they hear movement. It sounded like multiple men were in the room she was in and one of the men had apparently gotten hit. What happened next almost made Aiden's heart stop. He heard Clara scream in pain, but it only lasted a few seconds before the call ended.

Aiden's mouth gaped open. He grew silent. What did they do? T-bone took action and grabbed qhold of Aiden's phone and began tracing the call. He managed to fix the signal and track her to an old building.

"I found her!"

Aiden jolts his head sideways and looks at his phone. He saw her name on the phone screen and wasted no time starting up the car again and taking off. He speeds down the road, ignoring beeping horns from other cars. T-bone turns to Aiden and notices his panocked expression. He was breathing heavily and his eyes never left the road.

"We're going to find her, Aiden. Alive," he says reassuringly.

Aiden didn't answer. He didn't know for sure if she was alright. He couldn't lose her again. He just couldn't. They made it to the building and they saw dead guards outside the building. They quickly got out of the car and pulled out their pistols before entering the building. They were greeted by more dead fixers.

"What the fuck happened in here?" Ray said, looking as confused as Aiden did.

They saw an old rusted door that looked to be kicked off its hinges and there were a set of stairs that led down to the basement. Aiden and T-bone cautiously made their way downstairs and yet again, they saw four men that looked to be killes by stab wounds, lying on the floor. There was a rope sitting on the floor.

"Clara could have been in here," T-bone says, "Where the hell is she now?"


	22. Chapter 22: Complications

It all happened so fast. She remembered hearing Aiden's voice through the phone and the fear she felt when her arm was nearly twisted by those men. Everything went black after that.

Clara woke up in what felt like a bed. Once she opened her eyes all the way, she took in her surroundings and realized she was no longer in that basement. She was in a small room and the walls were colored in black.

A familiar voice snaps her out of her thoughts. "Clara." She turns to see her father sitting in a chair beside the bed. "You're awake."

"Papa?"

A faint smile appears on his lips, but it only lasted for a few seconds before turning into a frown.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Concern was written all over his face, but Clara could also see sadness. Had he missed her?

"No, no I'm okay." She sat up from the bed and turned to face him. "If you're going to ask me to come back to the Black Dragon, the answer is no," she says coldly.

He frowns. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm not going to make you come back. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

He looked so guilty, but he was trying to hold it back.

She sighs. "Why am I here? How did you find me?"

Her father exhales heavily, "Truth be told, when you left, I had my members search for you. When I finally found out where you were, I discovered you were being held by those damn fixers. So I sent my men in there to get you out. Are you sure you're not injured?"

His eyes were filled with worry. Clara went soft and placed her hand on top of his.

"I'm fine, Papa. Don't worry."

He lets out a momentary sigh of relief. "Okay, I just wanted to make sure. When you called and told me you were leaving the Black Dragon without warning, you completely caught me off guard. I tried to find you, but you were no where to be found. Later on though, I found out what happened to Shaun and his family," he frowns. "I'm sorry you had to witness that, Clara."

She grew sad at the thought of it and she sighs. "I try not to think about it."

They were silent for a few seconds before Alex spoke, "I've also discovered that you've been with that Pearce fellow." His brows furrowed.

"Papa, he's not the bad guy here," she explained.

"He put you in danger."

"Well so did you."

He paused. She must have struck a nerve. He sighs deeply.

"I know it was wrong of me to drag you into that mess, but I don't want to see you in further danger. You're still my daughter and I do care about you."

Clara sensed he was saying something else. It was like he was saying he wanted to take the chance to be her father again, but she knew she couldn't be by his side forever. She wanted to start something new with Aiden if they ever had the chance to be free from fixers, which meant leaving Chicago.

"I can't be here forever. You know that right?"

"I know. I won't make you stay here with me. You're an adult and you can look after yourself," he says sadly.

Clara sighs. "I'm also thinking about leaving Chicago...with Aiden."

His eyes widened. "What?"

And just then they hear the door open.

* * *

T-bone had traced Clara to an old warehouse at the wards. He and Aiden wasted no time heading there. Aiden was anxious throughout the entire ride. He didn't know what to expect. So many questions flooded through his mind. What happened to her? Who took her?

Aiden tried to think of who. His thoughts drifted to the business or gang she was involved in. What if they took her? Aiden didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

He and T-bone arrived at the warehouse and they immediately saw two heavily tattooed men holding rifles in front of the building. Aiden and T-bone both agreed to take out each one. They both snuck behind each guard and tackled each one.

Once the guards were knocked out, Aiden and T-bone made their way inside the building. They were greeted by more tattooed guards who had their backs to them. Aiden noticed the tattoos were made up of dragons. This place had to be one of the Black Dragon hideouts.

Aiden and T-bone took the opportunity to take out each guard, but thet were spotted by one of them.

"Go find Clara. I've got you covered, amigo."

Aiden nods and heads the other direction. While looking around, he finds a hallway that lead to a single door. He loaded his pistol, preparing himself for any more guards. He cautiously opens the door and he wws greeted by a pistol aimed at him by a tall, intimidating looking man. Aiden saw Clara behind the man, looking shocked.

By instinct, Aiden aimed his own pistol at the man, who looked angry. Very angry.

"No, Papa!" Clara cried out.

That's when Aiden figured out that this man was indeed her father, Alexandre.

"You stay away from my daughter!" Alex warns.

Clara looked worried as hell. She didn't need Aiden and her father blowing each other to bits.

"Aiden, please lower your gun," she says softly.

Aiden saw the fear in her eyes and he lowered his gun without hesitance, but it didn't make Alex any less on edge. He still kept his gun pointed at Aiden.

"Papa, please don't shoot him," she pleaded, "He's on our side."

"Like hell he is!"

"Please drop your gun, you don't have to do this. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"He's a criminal," her father says while turning to her.

"You're practically a criminal too."

Alex frowns, but kept his gun raised and he turned his attention back to Aiden.

Clara sighs. "He's been helping me deal with serious issues. Ever since Shaun and his family passed away, I've been trying so hard to forget about it, but when I'm around him, he helps me forget. He...he makes me hapy."

Alex paused for a moment before turning to his daughter.

"Are you saying you're...in love with him?"

Clara didn't know how to answer that question. They had only been together simce yestwrday and she wasn't entirely sure if she was in love with him or not. Aiden was listening to their exchange and he wasn't even one hundred percent sure if he truly was in love with her, but he knew he had feelings for her.

"I...I don't know how to answer that."

"You said you were leaving the city with him. That means something."

"But that's not something to shoot him over!" Clara took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. "Please don't shoot him Papa," she repeated while looking up at him with pleading eyes. "We can talk about this."

Clara reached her hand out and placed it on her father's arm where he held the gun. He softened from her touch and slowly, but hesitantly lowered his gun. He sighs.

"Fine," he stares Aiden down. "We'll talk man to man."

His accent showed a hint of ferocity and Aiden was quick to pick up on it. Alex stood and began to approach him like a lion preying on a fox. Aiden didn't know her father, but he did his best to study his features his expressions, his movements, and reactions.

Clara grew anxious as she watched her father take slow yet cautious steps towards Aiden. There was no telling what he would do. Once Alex got close enough to Aiden, he gave him a cold glare. He kept his broad shoulders straight in order to achieve an intmidating look and Aiden quickly caught on.

"Why are you so interested in my daughter?" Suspicion was clear all over his face. "And what wxactly do you plan to do with her once you two leave the city together?"

Aiden wasn't sure how to respond. This was first time meeting a family member of her's and one wrong move could lead him to his grave.

"Papa, just relax," they both heard Clara get up.

Alex immediately turned to Clara with a worried look. "Clara, please lie back down. You need to rest."

"I told you that I'm fine." She made her way over to them and stepped between them. "Aiden, I'm sorry about him. I'm sure you know already that he's my father." She knew she had a lot to explain to him. "Aiden...I-"

"It's okay," he answered, I already know everything."

Clara was about to ask how he knew, but her question was answered once he pulled out her journal and handed it to her.

"Oh," she muttered before taking it and flipping through it.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Aiden grew concerned.

She sighs, "Those men nearly broke my arm," she frowns while she gently rubbed it. "But I'm alright."

"Clara, when I heard you scream, I thought...I thought I was about to lose you," he frowns. It wasn't normal for him to be like this. What he felt for her was special and Alex saw it in him.

Clara instinctively wraps her arms around him and they held each other tightly. Alex only watched as they pulled away and shared a long, passionate kiss. He could tell Aiden really cared Clara and he almost felt bad about pointing a gun at him, but he was still a little skeptical.

Clara and Aiden were aware that Alex was still standing there and Clara broke the kiss before turning to face him.

"Papa, just let me work things out with Aiden. We're not entirely sure if we're leaving Chicago or not, so please don't freak out."

He didn't know how, but the way Clara and Aiden held each other reminded Alex of the times he spent with Susan, Clara's mother.

Alex was lost in thought for a moment before he finally spoke. "Clara...I know you're not a child anymore and I do trust you in making the right decisions, but please let me know if you two do plan on going anywhere away from here."

Clara grew confused. He went from angry to calm all of the sudden.

"What are you saying, Papa?"

"I'm saying...you're free to be with him, but if you two plan on...leaving, you have to let me know first."

"Why? So you can scold the two of us?" She asked sarcastically.

"No, I want you to let me know because I'm your father and I deserve to know where you are."

There was a hint of stress in his voice, and Clara knew he was worried about her leaving. She placed a hand on his shoulder

"Listen, I understand you want what's best for me, I mean that's your job as a parent; to worry for your child. But you can't just go from pointing a gun at my...well, boyfriend, to being calm."

Aiden could feel his lips quirk up into a smile upon hearing the boyfriend part, but his small smile quickly disappeared. He was proud to hear that he was her boyfriend.

"How do you truly feel about this?"

He sighed and looked away for a moment. How could he cope with his daughter leaving, let alone being with Aiden Pearce; the man who he had hated for years? He'd have to realize that his daughter was a full grown woman and she was able to make her own choices.

"Honestly, I'm unsure about all of this, but really this is about what yiu want, not me. Although, I don't necessarily approve of you being with him, if he makes you happy, then I will try my best to work things out with him. Just please don't forget about your old man."

This made Clara feel bad about her father.

"Papa," she took a few steps closer to him, "I could never forget you even if I tried. You're my father and...I love you with all my heart."

She felt sad all of the sudden. Sad enough to cry. She felt tears begging to push through and eventually she gave in. Tears began to form in her eyes and before she knew it, she was in her father's arms, crying against his shoulder.

"Clara," he cradled her, "My little girl, please don't cry. I'm so sorry I dragged you into all of this. I'll make this right for you. I promise." He began to rub her back, and Clara started to calm down.

"It's okay. You don't have to blame yourself anymore," she says between sniffles. "It's all in the past now and I know that you did all of this to honor mother. You got so caught up in the business that you...nearly forgot about yourself."

"No, I was too selfish to realize that the real person I was forgetting about was you. I never stopped to see how you were doing. I want to change that."

"You can, Papa. Just...give me time to talk with Aiden, please."

Clara wiped her tears away. She felt a little better after crying. She has held back so much and she felt like she could let it all out in her father's arms.

"I won't keep you here any longer," he says while pulling away.

Alex knew what he was agreeing to and he didn't want to stop her from being happy.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I've...never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Go on."

It took Clara a moment to process what he just told her, but she nods.

"I will keep in contact with you."

"You better," he gave a fake glare, but Clara could see a smirk appear on his lips.

She turns back to Aiden and gives him a reassuring smile. She takes a deep breath. "Alright, Aiden, let's go."

Aiden furrowed his brows and leaned close to her. In a hushed voice he asked, "Are you sure? I don't want to pull you away from your family."

"Don't worry, you're not. Besides you and I need to talk things through anyway."

Aiden was silent for a moment before replying, "Okay."

Clara took one last glance at her father for approval. He gave her a reassuring smile as if he was telling her to go on. Before they knew it, Clara and Aiden were out of there.

"Hey, you found her!" They heard an all too familiar voice behind them.

They both turned to see Ray heading towards them.

"Clara," he saw her and cleared his throat, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she nods.

It felt strange talking to him again, especially under different circumstances.

"Alright, let's get out of here, and I also want an explanation for what's goin' on," Ray said.

They made their way out while passing several Black Dragon members lying unconscious on the floor. Once they got outside, Clara took in the fresh air. She had been trapped in that basement for hours, so it was nice to finally be outside again.

As expected, she began to apologize to T-bone for having him dragged into another mess.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he reassures her. "It ain't no mojo shit I haven't been dragged into before." He looked pointedly at Aiden.

Clara couldn't help but laugh a little. It reminded her of old times with them at the bunker before things went to shit. Soon they were out of there.


	23. Chapter 23: Saying Goodbye

**Okay, just a quick warning, this chapter is rated M because there will be lemon in this chapter. If you don't want to read it, you can skip it if you want. I will let you know when it comes up. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

(Three weeks later)

Clara told T-bone about everything and he was surprised to discover that it was her who had saved him and Tobias that night. T-bone didn't expect her to be capable of doing such things, but that was only because he was a realist. Aiden and Clara thanked him for helping them, and he had no problem with it. He eventually left because he and Tobias planned on leaving the city for good.

As weeks went by, Clara spent more time with her father. She and Aiden had decided that it was best for them to leave if they wanted to stay together. She knew her father would miss her, so she spent the last few weeks visiting hotspots in Chicago with him and it was only the two sharing old times together.

Clara and Aiden planned to leave for Quebec, which was Clara's hometown. It put Alex a little at ease because he had been there, but he knew he couldn't go there anymore without being well hidden. Now, it was morning, and Aiden and Clara were at a hotel packing a few things; today was the day they were leaving. They didn't need to pack much, just their phones, laptops, and some clothes.

"So what exactly ahould I expect from Quebec?" Aiden asked.

Clara smiles, remembering old times there as a child. "It's just a small town with quite a few people. Most people there do speak french, but don't worry, some people speak english too, but if they don't, you've got me," she winks at him, causing him to grin.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom right quick and then we'll head out."

"Alright."

Aiden went to use the restroom while Clara packed the last of her things in a small suitcase. This was it for her. She'd be leaving the city she had gotten so used to while growing up. She knew her father was waiting for her outside to say goodbye to her. She'd miss him just as much as she would miss the city. Suddenly, Clara heard the news come on.

"In other news, Maria García, a former Chicago PD officer, was discovered dead in her apartment this morning. The witness claims that Maria committed suicide due to her brother being killed by the Black Dragon, who is now identified as Clara Lille."

An all too familiar dark feeling fills Clara. She knew the reason why Maria had shot herself, and it straight up gave her chills. She also wasn't surprised her name would end up on the news, but hearing about Maria committing suicide made her stomach turn. It brought back horrible memories of Teresse and Peggy's lifeless bodies. She knew Maria had killed them, hell, she even witnessed her shooting a little girl.

Clara could easily blame Maria for their deaths because of her greed and blind vengeance, but Clara couldn't help but blame herself too. She murdered Maria's brother out of cold blood, and for what? He was only doing his job as a police officer, and it was all for just a stupid bracelet. She was greedy too. Was this her past trying to catch up with her? It could have been.

Clara instantly turned the TV off; she was about to leave the city with Aiden and the last thing she needed was guilt weighing on her. Aiden came out of the bathroom and saw Clara ready to go.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." The tone in her voice sounded a bit different to Aiden.

"You alright?"

She sighs, "I don't know. I guess it just feels strange leaving everything behind. Let alone leaving Chicago."

"Yeah, but we can finally get a fresh start. We won't have fixers after us all the time."

"That's true, which is why I'm sort of glad we're leaving."

Regardless of her acring neutral, Aiden couldn't help but notice there was something amiss.

"What's wrong?" He tilted his head to one side. Clara knew Aiden got her there.

" _No point in hiding it,"_ she thought before sighing, "It's just...something came up on the news," she spoke, "It was about a cop committing suicide. She was the one who killed that little girl and her mother. You know, the ones I mentioned in my journal?"

He was quiet before nodding.

"I know it's in the past now, but having that show up on the news right in front of me just brings back horrible memories," she says before looking away from him and frowns. She stood there lost in her thoughts until she felt Aiden's hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly, "You don't have to talk about it. I understand."

"Why? Because you've gone through something similar?" She said without realizing.

He paused, causing Clara to feel stupid for saying such a thing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's fine. It's in the past now anyway," he says with a faint chuckle. "If you keep thinking about your past like that, it'll eat you up. Believe me, I know."

Clara took a deep breath before replying, "You're right. Thank you."

She embraced him warmly and Aiden was quick to hug her back while wrapping his arms around her lower back side.

"No need to thank me, it's my job...as a boyfriend. To comfort you. Regardless of how cliché that sounds." Clara heard a faint chuckle radiate from him.

She smiled, "No, I like that," she said before burying her face into his neck. They held each other for a while before letting go. Clara gazed at him longingly with a warm smile plastered on her face before pressing her lips on his. Aiden was quick to respond and before they knew it, they were lost in each other. They kissed each other passionately, feeling like they couldn't get enough of each other.

They made out for what felt like minutes before Clara pulled away. "We need to stop now," she said while placing her fingers on his lips when he attempted to kiss her again. "Papa is waiting for me outside."

"Alright," he smirked devilishly before leaning in close to her, "But we'll have to continue this later," he says in a darker tone that had Clara full of excitement and anticipation.

She bit her lip and smirked. "I look foward to it."

After that, they picked up their suitcases and went out to greet Alex.

"Clara," he gave her a warm smile. "It's about time you came out. Do you have everything you need?"

"Yeah...are you going to be okay?" Clara asked while walking up to him.

He nodded, "I didn't think this day would come so close, but I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Clara, as long as you keep in contact with me, I'll be okay. Afterall, I may visit; eventhough, I'm not most welcome in Quebec. I'll have to bring a disguise," he said with a low chuckle.

"Are you going to wear a fake mustache or something?" She chuckled with him.

"Ah, who knows? I'll have to think of something, but in the mean time, I will miss you."

"I'll miss you too," she said before pulling him in for a hug. Alex wrapped his arms around her tightly, not wanting to let go. They held each other for a while, taking in their final moment together until next time they would see each other.

Finally, they let go, and Clara was already trying to hold back tears until she had noticed Alex had shed a tear.

"Papa, don't cry..." She placed her hand on his cheek, "We still have a chance of seeing each other again."

Alex was quick to wipe his tear away, I know. Just make sure you call me when you get to Quebec safely."

"I will. You make sure you take care of yourself too."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine here."

They stood in silence for a moment taking each other in for the last time before Clara took a deep breath, "Well...I guess this is it."

Alex gave her a warm hug.

"Alright, just one more hug," Clara said before wrapping her arms around him once more. They both shared a hug one more time before finally letting go.

"I love you, Clara," Alex said full heartidly while gazing at his daughter as if she were the only girl in the world.

"I love you too, Papa. I hope we really do see each other again in the future," she said.

"I'll make sure we will. Just promise to tell me when you arrive at Quebec."

"I promise. Goodbye...for now, Papa."

"Goodbye, sweetheart. I hope to see you again...ma fille (My daughter)."

Clara smiled warmly and gazed at him.

"Go on. The car is already started up and I also put a blanket and a pillow for you if you get tired."

She chuckled, "It's like I'm six years old again."

Alex chuckled as well. "Well I figured you might get tired along the way. I mean it will take you the whole day to get there."

"True," she nodded, "Thanks for doing that. I never would have thought of it."

"You're more than welcome, and please make sure Aiden drives safely."

"I'll make sure he doesn't snooze behind the wheel, but I don't I don't think I'll need to worry. Aiden is more of a night owl than I am."

"He better be. Your safety is on the line."

She rolled her eyes, "We'll be fine."

"Okay," he let out a soft sigh of relief. "Well...you best be going."

"Alright. I love you," she repeated for a second time.

"I love you too..." he said in a hushed yet sincere voice.

Soon Clara started walking towards the car.

"Stay safe..." Alex muttered to himself.

As soon as he saw Aiden walking to the car as well, Alex stopped him. "Wait."

Aiden was quick to stop and look at him.

"I've gotten to know you these past few weeks and you seem like a good fellow." He then gave him a serious look. "You make sure you get my little girl to Quebec safely, or there will be hell to pay for it."

Aiden could see worry behind his cold stare and he nodded.

"And you also make sure you treat her right. She's been through enough already..."

There was a twinge of guilt that struck him, but he quickly shook it off. He didn't want to be oberwhelmed with guilt; he wanted to take the opportunity to make Clara happy again. He felt like he owed it to her.

"I will," Aiden replied, I wouldn't want to hurt her."

"But you wouldn't hurt her, right?" He gave him a skeptical look.

Aiden immediately shook his head. "No," he said with furrowed brows.

"Alright..." Alex studied him for a moment before taking a glance back at Clara, who was already in the car watching the two of them. She made sure they wouldn't try to blow each other to pieces. Once she saw her father looking at her, she smiled.

"Well..." Alex turned back to Aiden, "You best be off."

Aiden waited for a second or two to say anything else before nodding and making his way to rhe car. Aiden felt strange leaving Chicago with Clara, and he also felt weird having her separated from her father, but then he remembered them saying they had a possibility of meeting each other again in Quebec.

Aiden got inside the car on the driver's side and shut the door. He glanced over at Clara and he saw her wrap herself in a blanket. He smiled. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

As Aiden began to drive, Clara rolled down her window and stuck her hand out to wave goodbye to her father. Alexandre saw her and waved back with a smile. Clara suddenly felt sad as she rolled her window back up. Who knows when she'd see her father again? The only thought that seemed to reassure her was that she could contact him through her cell, but she still felt like it wasn't enough. She'd miss him for sure, but she needed to do this so that she and Aiden could get out of the hell they dragged themselves into. Hopefully, she'd be able to see her father again in the future.

As Aiden drove past the buildings, Clara took one last look at everything she once knew about Chicago. This would probably be the last time she'd be in Chicago. She thought about all the good memories in Chicago, and a few bad ones. Clara peeked over at Aiden, who appeared to look unbothered that he was about to leave Chicago. He probably couldn't wait to leave, and Clara didn't blame him.

Once they left the city, Clara rested her head against the pillow her father had given her and stared out the window. They weren't surrounded by buildings anymore. They were on a single road surrounded by grass and trees. As hours went by, Clara and Aiden would occasionally chat about small things. Mostly topics about Quebec and others were about stopping for something to eat or drink.

Soon, they made it to the border. Of course, Aiden and Clara had both brought fake passports in order to cross the border. Luckily, they managed to fool the border officer and he let them pass. They both let out a sigh of relief as they drove across the border.

Aiden had been driving the entire day and it eventually grew dark outside. Aiden was near wore out, but he promised her father he'd get them to Quebec safely, and they were close. Aiden took a peek at Clara and saw that she had fallen asleep. She looked cozy wrapped in a warm blanket and having one side of her face pressed up against the pillow. The sight made Aiden a bit drowsy himself.

It was ten o' clock when they finally arrived at Quebec city. The buildings were much different than the ones in Chicago. Aiden thought they looked more old fashioned; it was definitely a new sight for Aiden. Clara was still sleeping and Aiden thought she looked peaceful, but he knew he had to wake her up.

"We're here," he said as he gently shook her.

She let out a soft groan before fluttering her eyes open and stretching her arms. "We're what?" She asked before letting out a yawn.

Aiden chuckled, "We're here," he repeated.

"We are?" She began to look around and saw the all too familiar buildings that brought back childhood. Clara smiled brightly. "It's...been forever since I was last here."

"Do you remember much? Because I kind of need to know where I'm going here."

"I remember enough. There's plenty of nice hotels here. Oh, let's go to that one," she points at a tall building that Aiden wouldn't even think would be a hotel by the way it was designed. He pulled into the parking lot and they both got out to get their suitcases.

Once they got inside, Aiden had rented a room and once they got inside the room, Aiden immediately crashed into one of the beds. He was wore out from keeping his eyes peeled on the road all day. Clara chuckled at the sight of him. His eyes were already shut and Clara knew he'd fall asleep soon.

She began to unpack her things until she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right. I have to call Papa." She said to herself before pulling out her phone and calling him.

He answered on the first ring. "Clara, have you arrived yet?"

"Yes, it's just how I remembered as a child."

"Could you send pictures?"

Clara looked through the balcony and said, "If it wasn't so dark, I would. Sorry."

"Oh, it's fine. As long as you're there safely. Where are you now? Still on the road?"

"No, Aiden and I checked into a hotel. He's fallen asleep," she chuckles softly while taking a glance at Aiden, who was already fast asleep.

"He's fallen asleep on you already?"

"Yeah, but it's okay. He's been on the road all day, he deserves rest. I'm probably going to go to bed too."

He sighs, "Alright. Before you go, I just want to let you know I miss you already."

Clara felt a strange twinge of sadness. It felt strange for her to be away from her father.

"I know, and I miss you too."

There was a short silence between the two lf them. She then heard her father clear his throat.

"Well...I'll let you go. I love you."

She smiles warmly, "I love you too."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she replied before hanging up. Clara took a deep breath and reminded herself why she was here with Aiden and why she was away from her father. Clara put down her phone and quietly walked over to Aiden. She leaned foward and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before turning around and heading towards the bathroom, deciding to get a shower.

Clara quickly took off her top and turned on the faucet. She tested the temperature until it was just right. She then looked down at her self and noticed that her stomach was slightly poking out. Was she gaining weight or was it her imagination? She brushed it off and turned on the shower head and she was about to take the rest of her clothes off until started to hear loud, heavy breathing. She turned to see Aiden lying in bed breathing harshly, his chest heaving violently. His eyes were still closed and he appeared to be having a nightmare.

Clara was quick to rush over to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a light shake. "Aiden," she tried to snap him out of his dream.

His eyebrows furrowed, but his breathing never came to a halt. "Aiden," she repeated as she shook him a bit more roughly this time. "Wake up, you're dreaming."

It took a few more shakes until finally his eyes bolted open as he gasped loudly. He slightly jerked foward, but Clara was quick to push him back down.

"It's okay, it's okay."

It took a few seconds for him to take in his surroundings until he caught sight of Clara. She ran her fingers through his hair as he kept eye contact with her. Eventually his breathing began to slow and he started to calm down.

"Are you alright?" She frowned.

"Come here..." he said in a low, rough voice.

Clara leaned close to him and waited to see what he'd do. He pulled her towards him until she was just inches away from his face. He smashed his lips against hers roughly, craving her and wanting to reassure himself that she was there for him. Clara was quick to respond by kissing him back passionately.

Aiden noticed that her mouth was open wide enough for him to slip his tongue inside her mouth in which Clara gladly accepted. Their tongues made contact causing Clara to moan a little. Aiden gently bit down on her lip which completely thrilled Clara as she closed her eyes and let him tease her. He let out a soft groan before pulling away.

Clara looked out of breath while Aiden smirked and looked her up and down. He noticed she was wearing her low cut bra that definitely caught his attention. Clara knew what he was looking at and she smirked devilishly.

"I'm getting a shower. Want to join me?"

He chuckles, "Do I need to answer that question?"

She smirks before pulling him out of bed and leading him to the bathroom.

 **Warning! Mature content ahead!**

They were quick to remove each other's clothes while sharing passionate kisses. Once Aiden had discarded her panties, they were both left naked. Aiden's hands roamed her luscious body until his hands reached her behind. He gave it a light squeeze causing Clara to smirk inbetween kisses. Clara then wrapped her legs around his waist, and Aiden carried her into the shower.

Once they were inside, Aiden immediately felt the stinging hot water and winced.

"Fuck," he groaned.

"What?" She said, bemused.

"How can you have the water on that high?"

Clara felt the water and shrugged, "It's fine to me."

Aiden turned the knob a little to the opposite side to cool it down a bit. Regardless of Clara's displeased expression, Aiden wrapped his arms around her.

"There, that's better."

"Aiden, turn it ba-" Clara was about whine until she was interrupted by Aiden smashing his lips onto her's. He kissed her expertly while softly gliding his nails along her bare back, causing Clara to moan quietly. She eventually gave in to his touch.

He presses a finger to her lips and whispered, "Quiet..."

Clara only nodded, seeming to be lost in some kind of trance. He chuckled before grabbing a bar of soap and applied it to the bath sponge, causing the soap to turn foamy. He slowly began to rub it along her smooth skin, starting at her back, all the while trailing kisses down her neck. The feelings of his lips on her neck sent good shivers down Clara's spine as her heart beat quickened.

She could feel his already hard member making contact with her skin. She bit her lip and smirked as Aiden's lips made their way down her chest. Aiden felt Clara run her fingers through his hair softly along with the warm shower water hitting his back. He made his way towards her breasts before taking one of her nipples into his mouth while his hand played with the other.

"Aiden..." she moaned softly while she ran her fingers through his hair.

Clara could practically feel him smirk as he flicked his tongue across her nipple, overwhelming her with pleasure. He gave the other the same treatment, eliciting more moans from Clara. He then trailed kisses down her stomach until he was close to the area between her thighs. Once he was close enough, he slowly inserted a finger inside of her causing Clara to gasp softly. He inserted a second finger inside before pushing them in and out of her gently at first, but he soon picked up speed.

Clara's face grew a light pink while she moaned as quietly as possible. She used both of her hands to try and move his head closer to her entrance. Aiden looked up at her and saw her pleading eyes. He smirked almost confidently, knowing exactly what she wanted. He leaned in before extending his tongue out and gently licking her sensitive spot while pumping his fingers in and out of her. Clara threw her head back and moaned a little louder than before.

He slid his fingers out of her before latching his mouth onto her, licking her womanhood sweetly. Clara was enjoying every movement of his tongue on her sex, momentarily moaning his name. Aiden even found himself savouring the taste of her as his tongue made it's way towards her love hole. Without warning, Aiden plunged his tongue inside of her, causing Clara to nearly stumble. She didn't think she'd be able to hold herself up as she pressed her hand against the wall while the other gripped Aiden's hair.

"Don't stop..." she said sounding almost of breath, her climax nearing.

He then placed his tongue back onto her clitoris and he inserted not two but three fingers inside of her. Clara began to moan even louder as her whole body tensed as her climax grew closer and closer. Aiden flicked his tongue rapidly back and forth along her clitoris while his fingers pushed in and out, hitting her G-spot. Clara's legs were nearly trembling and she tried to keep herself up and standing. Once she was on the brink of her climax, he suddenly stopped.

Clara looked down him feeling disappointed and slightly frustrated. "Why did you stop?" She asked with furrowed brows.

He stood up and pressed his lips onto her's firmly. Clara was reluctant at first, but eventually she gave in and kissed him back. Once he pulled away, his lips were only inches apart from hers.

"Because I didn't want you to come just yet." He said before taking one of her legs and bringing it up to his waist. Clara knew what he was telling her to do and she wrapped her legs around his waist as Aiden held her up.

He backed her against the wall, her bare breasts pressing against his chest, and he began to trail kisses down her neck. Clara could feel his erection touching her entrance which only turned her on even more. Aiden positioned himself before he slowly went inside her. Clara hummed beneath her lips from the feel of him. He started at a slow pace, occasionally kissing her passionately on the lips. The way her bright blue eyes gazed up at him with pure lust and the way her body reacted to his movements made her look so sexy to Aiden.

His thrusts grew faster and deeper which nearly sent Clara over the edge. She was already close and she could feel her climax nearing. Her breathing grew heavier as did Aiden's. He was completely getting lost in her. All of his worries and problems were forgotten once he looked deep into Clara's eyes and listened to her moans. He thrusts grew even quicker and harder causing Clara to finally release, but he didn't stop. He kept going, and there was this strange feeling that overwhelmed him with emotion and it wasn't just lust.

Could it be love?

Aiden wasn't too sure, but he wasn't going to stop to figure it out. After coming for the second time, Clara didn't know how much she could take. She was muttering french words at this point while digging her nails in his back.

"Fuck.." Aiden groaned before he sped up in an almost non human speed. Waves of pleasure overtook Clara as her moans grew even louder.

"Câlisse!" She cried out.

And after another minute, she came one last time before he pulled out of her. Aiden was about to release and Clara knew it. She removed her legs from his waist and went down on her knees. Aiden watched as she took him in her mouth.

"Clara..." He moaned as he placed his hand onto her head. She began to bob her head back and forth, trying to take him as deep in her mouth as she could, while Aiden threw his head back and groaned. He was so close to coming inside her mouth and she knew it, so she took him all the way towards the back of her throat. Aiden's member twitched and he let out a sharp growl before his body completely let go.

Clara felt something else go into the back of her throat and she pulled back a little, doing her best to swallow it all. Once the last of his seed was in her mouth, his manhood grew soft. Clara pulled away and licked her lips while looking up at Aiden who was panting heavily.

She smirked while making his back up to him by trailing kisses up his torso and his neck. Aiden looked down at her, impressed.

"You get better at that every time you do it." He said, almost out of breath.

She chuckled and let him catch his breath before saying, "Why don't we get a real shower, hm?"

He grinned before nodding. After a long shower, they both were tired. Once they dried themselves off, they both got into bed. Aiden pulled her close to him and rested his chin on the top of her hair. Clara buried her face into his chest and inhaled the body wash she had to applied to his skin. She slowly closed her eyes and soon she and Aiden had fallen into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _Journal #17_

 _It's been...too long since I've last written a journal and so much has happened, and I don't even know where to start. As of now, it's 4 o'clock in the morning and Aiden is alseep beside me. Of course he looks adorable, but I on the other hand can't sleep, so I might as well write. Right now, we're away from Chicago. Matter of fact, we aren't in the United States anymore. We're in my hometown, Quebec!_

 _It's just as I remember it, regardless of a few minor changes. We've booked ourselves a hotel, and you're probably wondering how all this came to be. It all started right after my last journal. I was kidnapped by fixers and the bastards held me hostage so that Aiden would be lured into their trap. However, my father found me..._

 _I didn't think he would know where I was, but he had saved my life. As for Aiden, he eventually found me, along with T-bone who I hadn't seen in a long time at the Black Dragon hideout where my father was keeping me. Before I knew it, the two are pointing guns at each other._

 _If I hadn't intervened, they would have blown each other to bits. My father eventually calmed down and then thought it was best to let me go with Aiden. Weird right? At first, I questioned him, but he seemed to feel guilty about dragging me into gang violence. He thought that me going away with Aiden would be good for my happiness, and he also knew I would still be in danger if I stayed in Chicago because some how my name got out there._

 _After that, I reconnected with Papa over the last couple of weeks before I finally had to say goodbye to Papa. I admit, I miss him, but we still keep in contact with each other, and besidea, it's for the best. Still, I was surprised Papa went through with it, but he said that one day, he could come and see me again in Quebec._

 _Right now, Quebec isn't too fond of him becauss of the crimes he committed here such as stealing. Still, it feels strange being away from Chicago. Quebec was nice, but Chicago became my home. It'll take time to readjust here. Oh, I also forgot to mention that Aiden and I are a thing now. At this point, I could consider him my boyfriend. Everytime I'm around him, he gives me butterflies and...I might be starting to fall in love with him._

 _I don't want to jump too soon, but I think he feels the same. The way he looked into my eyes when we had made love last night gave me a sign. Hopefully, sometime in the future, maybe...we could start a new life together._


	24. Chapter 24: Unexpected Surprise

Clara had fallen back asleep after writing her last journal. She stayed asleep for a couple more hours before she woke up feeling suddenly ill. She immediately sprung out of bed and took off towards the bathroom while trying to cover her mouth. She felt like she would throw up at any second as she shut the door and locked it.

Before she knew it, she was puking her guts out in the commode. She threw up until there was nothing left and she flushed the toilet while taking deep heavy breaths. Clara didn't know how she would have gotten sick. She did not recall eating anything bad. As she pondered in her thoughts, something hit her. She remembered her stomach was a little bigger and she also recalled that she and Aiden didn't use protection.

Clara felt like her whole world stopped at that moment once she came to a conclusion. Could she be...pregnant? A rush of fear overwhelmed her. All the evidence had to be there. She and Aiden slept together without protection not once, but twice, and Clara had been feeling out of place over the past couple of weeks, like she would get angered easily or she'd suddenly feel a sudden rush of fatigue. This was the first time she had thrown up and she definitely didn't think it was just because of sickness.

"Oh no," she muttered.

"Clara are you okay?" She heard Aiden's voice through the bathroom door in concern.

This caused Clara to panic a little. She needed to take a pregnancy test just to be sure, but she also needed to tell Aiden what was going on. "Yeah," she said while trying to sound as calm as possible. "I'll be out in a moment."

"Alright," Aiden replied.

As Clara sat there trying to get her breathing under control, she couldn't help but feel like she was about to go nuts. She didn't want to scare Aiden with news that might not he true.

" _It's gonna be fine, Clara,"_ she thought to herself, not wanting to believe she was pregnant. " _Just tell Aiden that you're getting a pregnancy test and it'll be false. I'm just sick."_

But it was easier thought than said. Clara wanted to believe so badly that she was just sick and there was nothing more to it, but she feared that if the inevitable was true, Aiden could possibly leave her. How would he react? He most likely didn't expect this and neither did she. She got up and wiped her face with a cloth. It was now or never.

Clara took a deep breath before opening the door slowly only to be greeted by Aiden looking at her with a worried look. "Not feeling good?"

Clara tried to look anywhere else but him. She couldn't look him in the eye. She sighed, "No, and...I don't think it's because I'm sick."

Clara peeked cautiously up at Aiden, who appeared as of he was trying to figure out what she meant. It took a few seconds before realization hit him. Clara saw the expression change on his face to...surprise? Fear? She didn't know.

"Aiden...I-I might be pregnant..."

Aiden's mouth gaped open and he physically tensed. He was quiet for a moment before replying, "Do you know this for certain?"

"I don't know one hundred percent, but I need to take a test to be sure."

"But what if you're just sick?" He added. Clara could tell he didn't want to believe she was pregnant either.

"Aiden, think about it. We had unprotected sex twice," she spoke, her voice sounding a little shaky. "What if I am pregnant?"

Aiden sensed her fear and walked up to her almost with caution. "Clara...it's okay. Just take the test and we'll find out if you're really pregnant or nor. You might not be."

Clara sighed nervously. "Alright, I'll get a test, but I'm just...scared," she said the last word quietly.

Aiden placed his hands on her shoulders and gently squeezed them, his eyes not leaving hers. "I know you are," he said softly, "But I'll be with you the whole way. Alright?"

He was trying to be careful with his words. He didn't want to make Clara feel any more nervous than she was now. Clara gazed into his eyes and she nodded slowly, seeming to process what he was saying.

Aiden exhaled, "Okay, let's go."

Soon after, they made their way towards a local store to get a pregnancy test. On the way there, Clara was as anxious as hell and Aiden did as best as he could to keep her calm. He could even admit that he was a bit nervous as to what was to come. The thought of him being a potential father made him uneasy, but he needed to be calm for Clara. If he sounded the least bit panicked, it would put Clara on edge as well.

Once they had bought a test, they returned to the hotel. Clara went to the bathroom to take the test. After she was done, she and Aiden waited anxiously for the results. So many thoughts went through Clara's mind. If the results came back positive, what would she do? She knew she wasn't ready to be a mother and she also knew that Aiden wasn't ready to be a father.

What if Aiden left her? What if he wanted nothing to do with her if she was pregnant? Minutes felt like hours until finally the results popped up. Clara was the first to see it, and once she did, she felt like her heart stopped. Two lines; she was pregnant.

She clasped her mouth with one hand while holding the pregnancy test shakily with the other. Aiden saw it too and he was just as shocked as she was. They were speechless. Clara uncontrollably began to tear up and she didn't know if it was because she was afraid or if she was sad. Possibly both. She was afraid because she wasn't even close to being ready to become a mother, and she was also nervous and upset about the thought of Aiden possibly leaving her on her own.

"Shit," she heard him mutter under his breath.

Clara didn't know what to say or do as more tears formed in her eyes. Aiden stood up, causing Clara to panic. She saw a look on his face that clearly showed he was stressed and worried as well.

"Clara," he began while running his fingers through his hair, "I'm not...ready to be a father."

Clara didn't want Aiden to leave her side so she grabbed his arm softly and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Aiden..." her voice was slightly off because of her tears.

He looked down at her and frowned once he saw her crying, "Clara...I'm not going anywhere," he said with a sigh, "Look...do you want this baby?"

She lowered her head and bit at her nails appearing to be thinking. Shd glanced down at her stomach before looking back up at him. "Yes...yes, I want the baby"

Aiden looked off into the distance and let out a worried sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair once more, looking as if he was struggling to make a decision. After a few minutes of dreadful silence, Clara was the first to speak, "Aiden, it's clear that we're both not ready to be parents, but I don't want to get rid of the baby. Maybe...we can put the baby up for adoption or we can try and work it out."

He looked at her before releasing another sigh, "Maybe, but we need to be sure about this," he said as a frown appeared on his face.

Clara wiped a few tears from her eyes before saying with a sniffle, "I know, and we can work this out, right?"

Aiden interlocked his fingers with hers before nodding. "Yeah," he said before sitting back down beside her, "It's just that I wasn't expecting this."

"What? To knock a girl up?" Clara said with a faint chuckle.

"Well...yeah," he said as a small smile appeared on his lips, but it only lasted for a second.

They gazed into each other's eyes before Aiden wrapped his arm around Clara and pulled her in for a hug. "We'll figure this out," he said as his chin rested on top of her head, "Okay?"

"Okay..." she said before nuzzling her head into his chest. Clara was actually surprised by Aiden's reaction. She expected him to walk out the door, but instead he was willing to stay. At least for now. As Clara got lost in her thoughts, a sudden realization hit her. How was she going to tell her father?

* * *

 _Journal #18_

 _Well...I just found out that I'm pregnant. I took a pregnanct test and it came back positive. Aiden already knows and he was just as nervous as I was, but we've decided to keep the baby. We aren't entirely sure if we'll try to raise the baby on our own, or pur it up for adoption. Honestly, I still feel...well...anxious._

 _I'm eager to know if it's a boy or a girl, but am I really ready to give birth to a baby? From what I've seen on tv and from hearing other women's stories about giving birth, it's sort of terrifying. Hell, the whole idea of being a mother terrifies me._

 _Another thing I'm worried about is telling my father. I mean he has to know at some point, but maybe...not right now. I'm already stressed enough about what we're going to do about the baby. Maybe I'll wait a couple of days...or weeks. It all depends on what we do._


End file.
